Keeper Secrets: 4 Allegiances
by Kagedtiger
Summary: The long-awaited sequal to "Dungeon Secrets: 4 Views." Rumors of a strange artifact have appeared in the Underrealm. Now it's a race between the Keepers to see who will control it first.
1. Prologue

Keeper Secrets: 4 Allegiances  
Prologue

  


  


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Notes: There are several. 

I don't own Dungeon Keeper, Bullfrog does. If I made any money from this, I'd be obligated to give it to them. 

This fic combines aspects from Dungeon Keepers 1 and 2, plus some stuff I made up. For detailed information on this world and this story, go to . 

Keeper Secrets is the sequal to another fic, Dungeon Secrets: 4 Views, which can be read at my home page. 

Even though the game is not mine, the story is, and I would appreciate it of you did not use it without my permission. I think that's all, so on with the fic!  
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There is only one thing that a Keeper can give his or her child when the Black Keeper is sent out into the Shadowrealm. Keepers breed by sharing energy and leaving some of it behind at the end to form a new entity. Breeding is not common among Keepers, as it creates more competition, but it is not as necessary for Keepers as it is for mortal creatures anyway, as we do not die of old age. However, death among Keepers is by no means rare, so the species must continue somehow. Perhaps it is out of some perverse sense of destiny that we continue to create offspring. 

When a Black Keeper is created, we can give them only one thing. A name. 

The name is not remembered by the Black Keepers. Before a Darkness finds them, they have no mind to speak of and are simply voracious masses, wanting nothing except to devour a Darkness. They cannot remember their own names, nor even recognize them. But they retain them nevertheless. 

When a Black Keeper is awoken by a Darkness, when its Heart starts beating for the first time, its name is the first thing that appears to it. Often a Darkness will speak each name to the Keeper as it is "born" in a kind of ritual. The new Keeper gets its identity, as well as its soul, when it recognizes its Darkness. But the name is given to it by its parents. 

I watch it. The child. A pitiful black mass it seems, not yet awake enough even to feel the Hunger. I long to caress it, but cannot. It would not do for a Keeper this young to feel the touch of a Darkness. I fear that it would drive the young thing insane. 

This child. My son. 

I've heard tales that maternity changes you. That Keepers, especially female ones, have an unusual blind spot where their children are concerned. Many cannot bring themselves to defeat something that is born from themselves, and so perish at the hands of their own offspring. For you see, the child cannot tell who the parent is. The only way a Keeper knows its own child when it comes across it is the name. The Black Keeper knows not who named it. 

I will not be so weak. I will not allow myself to fall at the hands of this Keeper. Should I encounter him, I will not hesitate to kill him, if it comes to that. My child he may be, but nothing, not even the spawn of my own energy, is more important than my Darkness. 

And yet... I cannot deny that I hope to see him again some day. I hope to somehow find my son, when he is grown and has achieved much, and see that he has succeeded. For he will succeed. He is my son and can do no less. 

My time here grows short. I cannot stay in the Shadowrealm much longer, or I risk losing the Red Darkness to the abyss that exists in this place. Evain has already gone. I cast a last look at the Black Keeper, even as it begins to wake. 

_Tharian_, I tell it. _You are Tharian._

  


  


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Oh God, that was hideous. Take me back.   
or   
Oh God, that was hideous. Let me complain to the author. 


	2. Chapter 1

Keeper Secrets: 4 Allegiances  
Chapter 1

  


  


**-------------------  
Author's Notes: Dungeon Keepers I and II belong to Bullfrog, not to me. I am not making money off of this story, so please don't sue me. **

Warning: This story contains slash (male/male romance). If you object to this, please don't read it. Keep in mind that if you flame me, not only did you ignore your fair warning, but you were stupid enough to go through and read something that disgusted you. 

For notes on this story and this series, please go to this site for reference. (Note: If you are reading this on fanfiction.net, you will not be able to use that link. Please see my profile for the link to that reference page.) (Also note that this page is not the same as the one linked to in Dungeon Secrets; this one is more complete and contains the entire series.) 

If anyone would be interested in beta-reading for me and you think you are capable, please contact me at kaged_tiger@hotmail.com. Also contact me if you have any information as to what happened to Vagabond. Did she just, die or something? 

Finally, this is my story. If you would like to archive it, please inform me first. I will almost definately say yes. 

On with the fic.  
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**Kaelay's Dungeon  
Ramasha**

I automatically scan the room when I enter, looking for the familiar figure of my lover. I spot him after a moment sitting on the bed, obviously waiting for my return. I smile despite my weariness. In seven years, Tarkasas still evokes that reaction in me. 

He's not wearing his armor at the moment, so I'm free to let my gaze wander appreciatively over his beautiful well-muscled body. So very strong, he is. A tenth level fighter, actually. But not vicious. Gentle, in fact. Tarkasas is surprisingly gentle. 

The bed he is sitting on is unique. It was eventually produced by the two of us in a sort of combination of lair creation. While low and rather plain like the cot of a Knight, it is wider than normal, and the sole decorations are skulls on the bedposts. It's not fancy, but it's very comfortable. 

And well-used. 

I come and sit down next to him. "Hey," I say, leaning into his shoulder. I always seem to crave physical contact with him. Not that he minds. 

"You look tired," he replies. "Busy day?" 

I nod. "Seven years and still uncovering new secrets in Mortagui's library." 

He raises an eyebrow, surprised. "I thought you finished going over those things there years ago." 

"We did... or so we thought. Just yesterday someone discovered a secret chamber in the back that had yet to be emptied. There were some interesting-looking things in there, and we've just begun to sort through them." 

"Which is why you're so drained," he concludes. 

Again I nod. "There are a lot of things there, and most of them have enough magic potential to be really dangerous, which is why they were mostly sealed away." 

"Well, I'm sure it will be over soon enough." He puts an arm around my shoulder and pulls me closer to him, and I feel a momentary pang of guilt. I'm not telling him everything. I'm going to have to tell Kaelay of course, and there's really no reason that I shouldn't tell Tarkasas as well. It's likely that he doesn't even know what the Phoenixdown is. But I can't help thinking of what Mortagui told me, before I killed him. 

_I know where the Phoenixdown is, you know. I could bring him back for you if you want me to. _

Kethian. The Phoenixdown could bring him back. But... I have Tarkasas now. I don't need Kethian, right? Right. 

So why do I feel so guilty? Why do I feel like I'm betraying Tarkasas? 

  


  


  


**Tharian's Dungeon  
Tharian**

I'm so nervous, and I have no idea why. It's stupid, really. I'm the second-in-command under the Blue Darkness, and I'm bearing entirely good news. I have no reason to be afraid. None whatsoever. 

But I am. I'm practically vibrating. 

I feel like such a fool. You see, ever since I was called into the Underrealm, I've had this small obsession. I suppose it's normal for a Keeper to feel this attraction. We are all drawn to our Darknesses. It is what keeps us and them alive. We are symbiotes. So of course, it's only natural that the one who carries the Darkness should be the most important person in my world. 

Right? 

If I weren't a cloud of disembodied energy, I would be blushing. Zannos is, always has been, the center of my universe. At first I didn't question it; it seemed natural. I was only being loyal to the Darkness, right? But gradually I came to realize that it was something more than that. I idolized Zannos, still do. He seems so perfect, like everything I ever wanted to be or wanted to have. Sometimes I take a good look at myself and realize how pathetic and silly this crush really is. 

But that doesn't change the fact that I'm nervous. 

I take a deep breath to calm myself and change into my corporeal form. It's nothing fancy. I use a form that I feel suits me. It is a young-looking Merman, or Triton. It shows my youth, and while not being an openly hostile image, the Merpeople have never been a race to be lightly messed with. I take a water form in part to honor my color, and in part because many things I have done with my life have been conscious or subconscious imitations of Zannos. 

I do not have long to wait. Within moments I feel the almost frightening presence come within sensing range, and then suddenly he is here. For a moment I am too overwhelmed to speak. But I catch myself quickly and bow low to him. _My Lord,_ I say respectfully. 

By the time I straighten up he has changed into his corporeal form. It is an odd mix hippocampus and blue dragon, creating a strange but beautiful and very deadly hybrid. I have never seen it before, only heard stories. It is everything the rumors say and more. 

_M-my Lord,_ I start, _I come with- that is, I come bearing-_ I stop and take a deep breath. Come on. I've worked my entire life to get to the point of the Darkness's second. I have earned this. I am perfectly worthy of this position and of this task in which I am currently making a fool of myself. 

I try again. _I have found something which I feel may be of interest to you, Great Zannos._ There. Much better. 

_Oh really? And what is that?_ When he finally speaks, Zannos's voice is heavily tinged with humor. He must be laughing at pathetic attempts to talk while nervous. I am immediately embarrassed. I may have earned this, but I am a long way from prepared for it. 

_My Lord, are you familiar with the Phoenixdown?_

I can feel Zannos suddenly become more interested. _Yes. It's a legendary item that has been lost since the First Age. It brings any creatures back from the dead, into any Realm that you wish. And they are brought back to life, not a state of undead as in necromancy. With it, one would be unstoppable. No army could be defeated._

I nod, feeling myself on firmer ground now. _Indeed. Well, a most interesting thing has been discovered in a library that my Dungeon recently acquired.* It is a map. We believe that it may lead us to the Phoenixdown._

Now Zannos's interest is piqued. _Really?_

  


*Read: Stole from another Keeper whom we crushed mercilessly. 

  


  


  


**Evain's Dungeon  
Evain**

I can feel Kaelay's glee even before she appears to me. We are rendezvouzing in our usual place between our two dungeons in this Realm. We no longer bother with the formality of corporeal forms, so when she finally appears it is as a simple mass of energy. 

_What's got you so happy?_ I say with a smile. Her good mood is infectious. 

_Evain,_ she says breathlessly, _have you ever heard of the Phoenixdown?_

_Of course,_ I say, not sure of where exactly she's going with this. _Everyone's heard of the Phoenixdown. It's an old legend. They say whoever possesses it would rule the entire Underrealm._

I can feel her happiness nearly explode, and she circles around me in a veritable whirlwind. It's the Keeper equivalent of grabbing someone's hands and spinning around in a circle with them. Whatever she did today, it must have been something good. 

She stops suddenly and faces me. Then, with the air of someone imparting some huge and important news, she says, _Evain, we have a map. In Mortagui's library, we found a map to the Phoenixdown._

I am momentarily stunned. Is that possible? It is said that the Phoenixdown was lost at the end of the First Age. Most believe it was destroyed. _I thought you finished going through Mortagui's library ages ago?_ I say irrelevantly, unable to think of anything else coherent. 

She waves the question aside as unimportant. _We discovered a new back room,_ she says impatiently. _But think of it Evain. The_ Phoenixdown_. Think of the possibilities. There would be no one who could stand up to us. The Red Darkness would be supreme. It could be the *only* Darkness. Can you imagine it? No other Heartbeat than your own? It would be like... being free._

I think about it. It's an amazing idea, certainly. But... is it possible that this is really and truly a map to the Phoenixdown? Kaelay is almost as paranoid as I am, she wouldn't accept anything that might possibly be a fake, would she? No. No, she would have it completely checked out. The map must be real. So then, the only question is... 

_When do we leave?_

Kaelay's happiness takes on a hue of greater excitement. _As soon as possible._

  


  


  


**Zannos's Dungeon  
Zannos**

This is interesting news indeed. The Phoenixdown? Is it truly possible? The map seemed genuine enough, and he said that his researchers had all gone over it and could find no signs of forgery. But it is still hard to believe. The Phoenixdown? Found again after all this time? 

I wonder about this artifact. Legend has it that he who controls the Phoenixdown will control the Underrealm. But what of the First Age? Before the Phoenixdown was lost, it must have been weilded by someone. And yet, the First Age was an age of even bloodier battles than this one. The competition was much fiercer among Keepers than it is now. Even the smallest of the minor Keepers went campaigning and questing. Certainly there was no one Keeper who controlled the Underrealm. So what good did the Phoenixdown do them? And what good will it do us today? 

Ah well, the point is null. I must find this artifact regardless. If it _is_ as dangerous as they say, then I cannot risk that it may fall into enemy hands. 

I float leisurely back to my Dungeon. I will leave as soon as I make preparations. And I'll take the second with me. 

I let my mind wander back to the second, the young Keeper who brought me this news. Tharian. The poor thing was nervous as all Shadowrealm. It was highly amusing. I suppose it is only natural. This was his first time meeting the Keeper of his Darkness. It can be overwhelming for anyone. And so young, as well. I do not believe that there has ever been a Darknesses's second so young. But it makes sense of course. He is a hard worker. And in addition to that, I encouraged the Darkness in this choice, because I have special interest in him. 

I remember when I first brought Tharian into the Underrealm and gave him his name. I have been interested in him since. He had great energy within him, of the kind that means one of his parents was probably a Darkness Keeper. And his name... Tharian... 

I had a lover once, deadly and beautiful, whom I have never forgotten. She always said that if she had a son, she would like to name him Tharian, after the great Dragon hero who, in addition to attaining the tenth level, invented the tremor spell, a spell which has been widely used by Keepers since. She wanted him to be strong and intelligent, she always said, like Tharian. And a name makes a Keeper. A great Keeper, my old lover. 

Her name was Kaelay. 

  


  


- Previous Chapter I Next Chapter -

  


  
Oh God, that was hideous. Take me back.   
or   
Oh God, that was hideous. Let me complain to the author. 


	3. Chapter 2

Keeper Secrets: 4 Allegiances  
Chapter 2

  


  


**-------------------  
Author's Notes: Dungeon Keepers I and II belong to Bullfrog, not to me. I am not making money off of this story, so please don't sue me. **

Subtitle for this chapter: In which we meet some new faces and Evain goes into more technical mumbo-jumbo than Kaelay ever did. 

Warning: This story contains slash (male/male romance). If you object to this, please don't read it. Keep in mind that if you flame me, not only did you ignore your fair warning, but you were stupid enough to go through and read something that disgusted you. 

For notes on this story and this series, please go to this site for reference. (Note: If you are reading this on fanfiction.net, you will not be able to use that link. Please see my profile for the link to that reference page.) (Also note that this page is not the same as the one linked to in Dungeon Secrets; this one is more complete and contains the entire series.) 

If anyone would be interested in beta-reading for me and you think you are capable, please contact me at kaged_tiger@hotmail.com. Also contact me if you have any information as to what happened to Vagabond. Did she just, die or something? 

Finally, this is my story. If you would like to archive it, please inform me first. I will almost definately say yes. 

WARNING: Evain goes into MASSIVE amounts of technical gobbledy-gook in this chapter. Please don't get bored with me. I promise that it's interesting from a spell-casting perspective. ;_; 

On with the fic.  
------------------- 

  


**Kaelay's Dungeon  
Tarkasas**

_Ramasha._

It is Kaelay's voice. Ramasha yawns slightly and I feel his muscles stretch next to me as he sits up in our bed, looking towards the ceiling. "Yes Mistress?" he asks sleepily. 

_Mission,_ she says curtly, and immediately the two of us are more awake. _Ramasha, you know the map you found?_

Map? What map? I frown, but he nods. Huh. It's odd. Normally Ramasha always tells me about his research findings. He knows that I find them interesting despite the fact that I could never do the job myself. Ah well. It must have slipped his mind. 

_Well,_ continues Kaelay, _we're going on a quest to find it. The Phoenixdown. Since you found the map and know the most about the artifact, you're in the expedition party. Tarkasas, you're one of my ablest fighters, not to mention I hardly expect you to let Ramasha go off on his own for an extended period of time, so you get to come too. We leave tonight, so please make your preparations._

She moves on quickly, and I turn curiously to Ramasha. "Phoenixdown?" 

I expected him to break into one of his excitedly animated lectures, but instead he looks away with an almost guilty expression. Why? Is he hiding something? 

"It's... an artifact. Ancient artifact from the First Age, said to be able to revive dead creatures. It would make the Keeper who possesses it practically invincible." 

I whistle under my breath. Impressive. So what's with his reluctance to talk about it? "Is something wrong?" I ask him. 

"What? Wrong? No. Nothing, of course not. Nothing's wrong." He looks at me, then obviously realizes how ridiculous he sounds and smiles. "Really. Everything's okay. Come on, we better get ourselves ready for the trip." 

Feeling slightly relieved, I put a hand on his arm to stall his leaving the bed. 

"What's your rush?" I ask, smiling and pulling him back down. 

  


  


  


**Tharian's Dungeon  
Dimitrus**

"You know, I really ought to be teasing you about the quantity of mirrors in your room, but frankly it's too disgusting to be funny." 

I turn to face Shalla, Maiden and long-time friend of mine, with exasperation. "Oh come off it. You say the same thing every time you come into my room. It's getting old." 

She smiles at me in that childish, clever way that she has. "Well it's true, you know. I know you're really _special_ 'cause Keeper Tharian lets you have your own room and all, but your vanity is really appalling." 

I raise an eyebrow at her. "Are you trying to imply something?" 

"Me, imply something?" She gives me her best Innocent Look, which I immediately see right through. 

"I'm not sleeping with him," I say bluntly. "I'm a powerful fighter, the best researcher he has, and one of the highest priests at the Temple. Not to mention that Dark Angels are rare to begin with. I've completely earned every privelege I have, and not because I have a pretty face." 

"Though you never seem to ignore that either," Shalla jokes. She sits on my bed, though perhaps "sits" is not really the proper term. Crouches, really. While a Maiden's top half is that of a woman, the bottom half is that of a spider. So they don't really sit, per se. 

I turn my face back to one of the mirrors thoughtfully. Perhaps I do spend a lot of time gazing at my own reflection. But so what? I'm damn gorgeous! I mean, look at me! Fiery red hair that comes down to just past my shoulders, broad but not overly-large nose, strong chin, thin but expressive eyebrows over deep, gorgeous golden-brown eyes. I should appreciate my looks while I can, right? 

I feel a pillow hit me in the back of the head. 

"Oh for the Gods' sakes, stop preening!" says Shalla in a peeved voice. I can practically hear her rolling her eyes at me. 

I turn to her and give her a practiced sexy smile. "Would you rather I preened you instead? I could give you a very thorough preening." I waggle my eyebrows suggestively. 

"Sorry," she says, sighing theatrically, "but I think our species are incompatible. Why don't you go seduce some virginal Dark Elf, or have a go with a Vampire. I know those fang-boys really turn you on- which reminds me!" Abruptly she changes tone from teasing to serious. "You know our new allies, those other Blues?" 

"Please, Shalla," I say, rather taken aback by her informality. "Those aren't just 'other Blues.' Those are the creatures of Zannos, Keeper of the Blue Darkness." When one has power, one must be respected. Respecting those in power is actually a time-honored way of gaining power yourself. ...Not that I'd ever kiss up to anyone, of course. 

Shalla rolls her eyes. "Right, whatever. Anyway, there's this _gorgeous_ young Vampire there. He's new, too. He was actually a Hero who got turned, not an Elder Vampire from the Shadowrealm." 

"Ooh." My interest is piqued. "Go on. Describe this tender young morsel to me. I've always admired Vampires. Pity they don't remove those evil-looking white masks more often." 

"This from a race that almost never takes off their skin-tight face masks," she mutters, but then gets on with telling me about this Vampire, a task which she is obviously relishing. "Alright. Young and tender he is. Sandy, dirty-blond hair. And _violet_ eyes. Amazing, right? I mean, they're natural, and he used to be _human_!" 

"You have my interest," I say, grinning. "What's his name?" 

"I don't remember," she says, frowning. "I think it was Dashyll, maybe. Or Dorym? Darym? I'm pretty sure it started with a 'D.' Anyway, that's not important. What _is_ important is that he's new to their Dungeon, and he doesn't even have a lot of friends there, let alone a lover. He really needs someone to show him around. And _get this_-" she lowers her voice to a mock-whisper "-I hear he's a _virgin_!" 

My eyes widen slightly. I'm impressed. There haven't been many of those around recently. Well, not with me here, at any rate. I smile. I know what's coming next. 

"What's the bounty?" I ask. 

She winks. "Twenty-two gold." 

Bargaining time. "Twenty-two? Come on. For someone that beautiful? Everyone's going to be after him. It's not like it will be easy. Reasonably, I shouldn't wager less than fifty." 

"Ah, but he's a virgin," she reminds me. "That means he doesn't have any natural defenses against the likes of you. Which means that all you have to do to seduce him is get there first." 

I frown. We've been playing this game too long. She knows the odds. "Fine. But you really ought to try at least twenty-five. Come on, I have to earn my gambling money somehow." 

She laughs. "You weirdo. This _is_ gambling. What else would you call betting whether you can seduce someone?" 

I smile, feeling smug. "Oh come on. You know as well as I that it's not a gamble. There hasn't been a soul yet who has been able to resist me. I haven't lost once. It's not a bet if it's a certainty. You just like watching me seduce young men." 

"There's bound to be one sooner or later," she says, smiling and pointedly ignoring the last part of my comment. "Although you are right in that I haven't won once yet. Maybe I should start putting a time limit on you." 

"Tsk, tsk." I click my tongue at her. "Seduction can't be rushed." 

"Huh. Fine then, twenty-five. But you'd better hurry with this one, before someone else beats you to him. You don't get the gold if don't seduce him as a virgin." 

"No fair!" I fake a pout. "You've never had any rules about my targets being virgins before!" 

"That's because we've never pitted you against a virgin before." 

"There was that one time-" I start, but she cuts me off. 

"That doesn't count. He was in a long-term committed relationship, and there was a very good reason why they hadn't had sex yet." 

I pout some more. "I think it counts." 

"Doryll!" she yells suddenly, snapping her fingers. "That's his name! Doryll. I knew it started with a 'D.'" 

I smile. "Well. I think it's about time we payed a visit to our newest allies, don't you?" 

  


  


  


**Evain's Dungeon  
Evain**

Seven years ago, when we battled with Mortagui, we discovered the most incredible spell that he had perfected. It apparently allowed him to transport creatures _through_ a Realm Border with no consequences. Needless to say, this was quite revolutionary. A Keeper could be unstoppable if he or she could transport their entire army through a Realm Border at a moment's notice. As it is, it's difficult to find enough hidden Secrets to transport even two or three, let alone a dungeon's worth. For years Keepers have been searching for a Door Spell with just such an effect. It seems Mortagui finally found it first. 

After Mortagui was defeated, Kaelay's researchers (and a few of my own) spent quite a good portion of time trying to find this spell in his library. Unfortunately, we were unable to locate the finished product. Mortagui perhaps did not keep it in his library, or maybe memorized and destroyed it. Even when we discovered the secret back chamber, we did not find it there. 

But all was not lost. A dilligent Warlock came across the notes that Mortagui had made while designing the spell. It was amazing work. If nothing else can be said about the Keeper, Mortagui was a brilliant spellsmith. Using his notes, we were able to piece together a semi-decent imitation of the spell. And so now comes the time to use it. 

Travel of this sort has never been done by Keepers prior to the invention of this spell. Since impenetrable rock is no obstacle to us, we can easily pass from one Realm to another. If we desire to start in a new Realm we must travel to the Shadowrealm and force a new Heart up into the Underrealm from there. But now we have creatures to transport as well. Obviously we cannot take them with us into the Shadowrealm or their souls and allegiances will be lost. So instead we must travel across the Realms, through the Borders, Realm by Realm. Needless to say, this is rather time-consuming. 

Also, we have the added problem that our spell is not quite as professional as Mortagui's was. It is sloppy. 

The spell operates on the basic principle of creating an artificial Portal in the impenetrable rock that forms in the magical field of a Realm Border. This allows creatures to pass through to the next Realm in the same way that they usually come in from the Shadowrealm. 

Our first snag comes with a problem inherent in Portals. Since the spell cannot be cast by any one particular Keeper in the same Realm Border more than once, you are limited to one Border Portal (as we have come to refer to them) per Realm Border. But because these are Portals, they still retain the natural limitations of a normal Shadowrealm Portal. IE, they can only admit twenty creatures before the fabric of the Portal weakens. 

Mortagui's notes on this are interesting. It was his hypothesis that a creature who passes through a portal becomes tied to said fabric. "This is best explained," he wrote, "through simile. Imagine for a moment that you have a doorway. Stretched across this doorway is a flexible, thin, invisible membrane. If a creature enters through that doorway, he does not break the membrane but extends it, carrying it in front of him wherever he goes. As more and more creatures enter, this membrane is stretched thinner and thinner until it can no longer hold another. This point is referred to as a Portal Limit, or just Limit. I have found that the first Portal in a Realm, which is augmented by the energy of a Keeper from its Heart, has a greater Limit of twenty creatures. Successive Portals, which do not feel the influence of the Heart energy, have a smaller yeild, generally of about five. 

"Returning to the simile of the membrane. If a Portal has reached its Limit, say of twenty creatures, the membrane is fully stretched. But if one creature were to return through that Portal, there would be a correspoding space left in the membrane. A certain amount of elasticity still left. Therefore, the creature could re-enter, or a new creature could enter, until the Limit of twenty is once again reached. 

"One wonders about the applications of this theory, which I call the Theory of Portal Limitation. Does this mean that if a creature could go through several successive Portals, eventually there would be a set limit to the distance that he or she could travel away from the Portal through which they originally entered the Underrealm? If so, would allowing fewer creatures to go through a Portal increase the distance that the remaining creatures could go? Also, is it possible for the membrane to somehow snap? What would happen if it did? Is there a way of augmenting the membrane to allow an unlimited amount of creatures to pass through? (Related to the snapping of the membrane, perhaps?) Also, a creature can exit to the Shadowrealm from any Portal, regardless of whether they entered through it. Does that mean that the membrane is permeable from the opposite direction? Perhaps the membrane is somehow negated when a creature passes into the Shadowrealm. Properties of the Shadowrealm are unusual and often unpredictable." 

Most of Mortagui's research is written like that. Sometimes it can be dry and hard to follow, but the underlying facts are always extremely fascinating. At any rate, what this boils down to for our spell is that we can only take twenty creatures each with us before the Portals hit their limit. Creatures can return freely, and one can be exchanged for another, but there still cannot be more than twenty with each of us at one time, forty total. 

Mortagui seemed to have found a way around the limitation. Maybe he managed to snap the theoretical membrane or something. Kaelay and I also believe that he probably found a by-product spell of this one that allowed him to attract an infinite amount of creatures through a Shadowrealm Portal. Needless to say, this would also be very useful if we could find it. 

I watch the shimmering archway in the stone border of this Realm. Creatures have never passed through the magic of a Realm Border, and I wonder briefly if they will feel its effects the way a Keeper does. But upon consideration, probably not. One assumes that the magic of a Portal would sheild them from that. 

Our ranks of twenty march through their respective entrances. Imps run before them, digging the passageways a step ahead of them, enhanced with artificial speed from their own spells and ours. 

Oddly enough, the twenty creature limit does not apply to Imps. As long as there is a Heart in both Realms that are being connected, they seem to be able to pass freely through the Portal. My theory is that this results from the fact that Imps are merely physical manifestations of mana, and mana can move freely anywhere. 

We should be able to get through another two or three Realms before we camp for the night. Which means... 

_Whose shift is it?_ I ask Kaelay. 

She thinks about it. _Yours,_ she says eventually. _Because I seem to remember already putting a Heart in the next Realm._ She consults the map. _The next Realm in our path should be the one southeast of here. Just follow the energy signal of my Heart._

I nod and focus on my Heart in this Realm. I don't need to ask Kaelay to watch my creatures for me; that's a given. I take a deep breath and ready myself for the plunge. 

The Shadowrealm. It is difficult to remain focused here. The presence of too many Darknesses all around me... Especially the Red. I can feel the Red. It sees me. It knows what I am doing. 

It feels as though I am swimming in a black ocean. I can see nothing. Hear nothing. And yet all around me I can feel whispers, taste colors. I know I must get to the surface. But the Red Darkness... Concentrate! 

I focus my mind, searching for Kaelay's familiar energy. A map lights up in my mind. There are dozens and dozens of bright spots glowing above me, or perhaps around me, indicating each Heart that she has placed in a Realm. Around them, a fainter red aura reveals the general extent of her Dungeon. 

It does not take me long to spot the one light that is off by itself, disconnected from the rest of the red glow. It is a good thing that she is the one who places her Hearts in the new Realms first. It is a simple matter for me to find that Heart and move next to it. It would be much more difficult to try and gauge which direction we should be heading on my own. It is very hard to retain a sense of balance and direction in the Shadowrealm. I leave that task to Kaelay, since she has more experience. 

I lock my mind onto the point of light that is Kaelay's latest Heart and propel myself towards it. It is not far from me, since it is only one Realm over. 

As I travel, I can feel the presence beside me of the Black Keepers. It is different than that of the Darknesses. While the Darknesses are misty and pervasive, surrounding me entirely, the Keepers are more like fleeting shapes. The Darknesses are the water of this black ocean, and the unborn Keepers like huge fish passing me, swimming like sharks in search of an awakened Keeper that holds a piece of live Darkness. Bait for them, and like a true fisherman, the Keeper of the Darkness will use that lifeline to pull them up to the surface. Even now I can feel them investigating me. Sniffing me, almost, searching for that spark. But they become disinterested when they discover that I am not carrying a live Darkness, and they drift away. 

I am almost there. The light of this new Heart, shining above the waves of this sea, seen blurrily as though it is in fact through water, is close. It eclipses my vision, but I turn my head. I focus my Heart energy on an area near her own Heart. Already I can feel my energy levels fading. I have stayed here too long. I must get back to the surface. 

The area of the Underrealm under my concentration melts. The intensity of a Keeper's energy pervading the Underrealm from all the way in the Shadowrealm creates Heartstone, a rare type of rock that can contain the living energies of a Keeper. It creates a circular seal of this stone in the Realm above me and I speed furiously towards it. I feel like a swimmer with little air left. 

With only several gasps to spare, I rocket up through the earth, blasting through the Heartstone. It immediately reacts to my energy and reforms itself, beating rapidly at first and then slowing into a regular pattern even as the rock settles into a normal Heart configuration. 

I take a deep breath and head back across the Realm Border. Even if we could speed all of our creatures and travel many Realms in a day, this would be the factor that limits us. It takes a great deal of energy and concentration to create a new Heart, and we can only do so many in a day. 

I rejoin Kaelay, and she looks at me with concern. The unasked question is clear. 

_I'm alright,_ I assure her. _My concentration wavered slightly and I didn't get out of there as quickly as I would have liked. But it wasn't exactly a close call. I wasn't in any real danger. Besides, you know going into the Shadowrealm always shakes me up a bit. I don't know what I'd do if I had to also remember and follow directions while I was down there._

She smiles. _You get used to it. When you have to control mobs of ravenous Black Keepers, you learn to concentrate on more than one thing at once, and your concentration must still be absolute. Actually, it's easier for me going down like this. When I'm just making a new Heart I can fight off the Black Keepers all I want. When I go down to collect them, I have to hold on to them, but still hold them back at the same time. It's difficult._

_I can imagine._ I am weary, and she feels it. She sends me a small bundle of energy and I take it gratefully. I need to go on. We still have several more of these yet to do before we rest. 

  


  


  


**Zannos's Dungeon  
Zannos**

Mortagui was a coward, and an opportunist of the worst kind. He let his prejudices and hatred sow within him a lust for vengeance that blinded his common sense, if indeed he had any of that in the first place. He was a sniveling excuse for a Keeper, latching on to anyone with power, even risking the wrath of his own Darkness if it meant currying the favor of another. At the same time he was also arrogant, always overestimating himself and underestimating others. He was, without a doubt, one of the most disgusting examples of our kind. 

That being said, he was not without his uses. 

Because of him, I inherited perhaps the single most useful spell in the Underrealm. It is called the Realm Portal, a practical example of the much sought-after Door Spell, and it allows me to transport as many creatures as I wish from one Realm into another. He designed the spell and gave it to me, allowing me to use it to transfer a portion of my army into the Realm where a Heart imbued with the Blue Darkness awaited me. Unfortunately (for him) he died before I could return it. 

It is quite a marvel. First, one casts the spell on a Realm Border. Once twenty creatures have gone through it, the spell appears to have reached its limit as a normal Portal does. However, the limit can be forced. No normal creature can pass through a Portal at its limit, but a Keeper in possesion of a creature has enough energy to manage it. When the Portal is forced, the limit breaks (along with something referred to in the spell as a "membrane") and any number of creatures can then pass through it. 

It is quite a useful spell. In fact, I use it now as we travel. Tharian does not possess this spell of course, so I allow him to use my own passageways. Consequently, our creatures merge, and I watch their dynamics thoughtfully. 

Most of Tharian's creatures appear well-trained and respectful, but not fearful, of him. This is a sign of a good Keeper. I am pleased that our Darknesses's second is so skilled. Still, I can feel his nervousness as he travels with me. Neither of us are currently in our corporeal forms, and I can tell that he feels rather exposed without the cover of the formality of physical manifestation. 

I chuckle silently to myself. Poor kid. He is only seven. It may not seem like much, but a Keeper must be tough to last for seven years. When it is brought into this world, a Keeper is awoken to full consciousness, not this strange, dreamy, half-alert state that Hero children and some creature young exhibit. A Keeper has no "childhood" to speak of, unless it be that time when he or she is a Black Keeper, unaware of anything but the hunger it lives with. 

Tharian has made it to his seventh year, and already he has advanced to the rank of second. I will have to watch him closely. While he seems to have no malicious power lust, he may someday be quite capable of taking me out. 

Poor Tharian. He is not used to the pace of such travel. Every once in a while we must add a Heart to a new Realm. With the Portal completely open, the energy of our Hearts can pour through to the next Realm without hindrance, but there is a still a limit to the distance where it can travel. I can feel my Heartbeat getting weaker and weaker as I distance myself from it. And as I feel the distance, so do my Imps. They need the closeness of the Heart to continue their work in excavating a trail for us. 

One might wonder why, since we have a map, we do not simply open a Heart in the Realm containing the Phoenixdown. I considered this course of action for a long time, but I decided against it for two reasons. Firstly, it is quite possible that there are no Portals in that Realm, and I will likely need creatures for this task. Also, I decided that I would rather have a fully-formed army at my back in such a situation. Who knows what protections we might find surrounding the Pheonixdown. If a map to it exists, surely other Keepers must have tried for to find the artifact. I am not so naive to think that our map is the only one, or that we are the first to find it. Possibly there is an army of undead whose only purpose is to guard the Phoenixdown. Who knows? But I would rather be prepared. The Blue Darkness shall not be lost again. 

  


  


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Oh God, that was hideous. Take me back.   
or   
Oh God, that was hideous. Let me complain to the author. 


	4. Chapter 3

Keeper Secrets: 4 Allegiances  
Chapter 3

  


  


**-------------------  
Author's Notes: Dungeon Keepers I and II belong to Bullfrog, not to me. I am not making money off of this story, so please don't sue me. **

Subtitle for this chapter: In which the plot thickens, emotionally speaking. 

Warning: This story contains slash (male/male romance). If you object to this, please don't read it. Keep in mind that if you flame me, not only did you ignore your fair warning, but you were stupid enough to go through and read something that disgusted you. 

For notes on this story and this series, please go to this site for reference. (Note: If you are reading this on fanfiction.net, you will not be able to use that link. Please see my profile for the link to that reference page.) (Also note that this page is not the same as the one linked to in Dungeon Secrets; this one is more complete and contains the entire series.) 

If anyone would be interested in beta-reading for me and you think you are capable, please contact me at kaged_tiger@hotmail.com. Also contact me if you have any information as to what happened to Vagabond. Did she just, die or something? 

Finally, this is my story. If you would like to archive it, please inform me first. I will almost definately say yes. 

WARNING: Evain goes into MASSIVE amounts of technical gobbledy-gook in this chapter. Please don't get bored with me. I promise that it's interesting from a spell-casting perspective. ;_; 

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge one of the many people who give me the determination to keep going on this monster of a fic. This chapter, hats off to Vick330. Vick has reviewed constantly through the first story and now in the sequal as well. His comments are always well-written and delightful and really give me some incentive to keep going! Thanks bundles Vick! I really appreciate your steadfast readership of my story!

On with the fic.  
------------------- 

  


**Kaelay's Dungeon  
Ramasha**

We are about to stop for the night when Kaelay's Imps unexpectedly break into the ruins of another Keeper's dungeon. It looks as though the place has been abandoned for a while. But many of the rooms are still recognizable, and we make camp for the night in the unused Lair. Even as we settle in, the Imps move around us, claiming the old rooms for Kaelay and lighting torches to help us see what we have uncovered. 

It's hard to tell what color owned this before us. Everything seems dark and forgotten. I wonder idly why this dungeon was abandoned. Normally a dungeon is not vacant for long before it is invaded by the Keeper who destroyed its Heart. This is the first time I have ever seen one get into such a state of neglect and disrepair. 

It's eerily quite here. It's unnerving. 

Kaelay seems very interested. I can feel her curiosity as she surveys our temporary residence. Her presence leaves the Lair for a moment, but returns swiftly. I hear her voice in my mind. It is laden with suppressed fatigue but nevertheless still comanding. 

_Will all my researchers please step forward? I would like you to comb the Library for anything useful._

I sigh. I had been hoping to go straight to bed. It has been a long march and I am quite tired. But of course, duty calls. 

I give Tarkasas a quick kiss. "Don't wait up for me, okay? I have no idea how long this will take, and at least one of us should get some sleep." 

He looks slightly displeased, but gives my shoulder a squeeze before waving me on to where the rest of the researchers are assembling. I take my place among the small group and feel Kaelay's hand pick us up, only to drop us down in the remains of a Library. 

At first glance it appears as though there is nothing worth salvaging. But a closer inspection reveals that many of the molding bookcases contain a few tomes which are still intact and readable. With a weary sigh, I begin to pull them off their shelves, looking for any which Kaelay might find useful. 

Half an hour later finds me bent over an enormous old musty volume, bound in black leather, my attention riveted. This is definitely something that Kaelay should see. Especially considering the fact that it pertains to our current quest. 

_There are seven legendary items in the Underrealm,_ I read, _which were created during the First Age. These items are together known as the Seven God Powers. Individually these are the Power of Wealth, The Power of Strength, The Power of Sight, The Power of Movement, The Power of Magic, The Power of Life, and the Power of Death. Of these, the last two, also known as the Powers of Balance, are the greatest. The Power of Life is an item which is known as the Phoenixdown. Using this item, any creature that is dead can be revived to their natural state in life, which is to say not as an undead as they would be with necromancy. If combined with the Power of Movement, the creatures can be revived into any Realm in which they so choose._

That right there is important. Even ignoring the fascination of the legend itself, this tells us that the Phoenixdown by itself does not have some of the powers we imagined it to. I continue to read. 

_The Power of Death is the Reaper's Horn. The item appears as a black warhorn, but any creature who blows it brings death immediately to all other creatures within hearing range. _

It is evident by their very nature that these two are Balance Powers. If one Keeper were to posess the Phoenixdown, and another the Reaper's Horn, each ability would negate that of the other and the two would be left at a standstill. However if one Keeper were to posess both, then that Keeper could easily become ruler of all the Underrealm. 

That passage sends an unexpected chill down my spine. I realize that our goal is to make the Red Darkness the only one existing in the Underrealm. So why does the very concept chill the blood in my veins? 

The next section provides details on the other five God Powers. I begin to read it, but am suddenly interrupted. 

I slam the book shut as an unearthly howling fills the air. 

  


  


  


**Tharian's Dungeon  
Dimitrus**

I stand patiently in the corner of the temporary hatchery that Keeper has erected for the night. Shalla should be here soon, but I'm impatient and getting bored. I snag a chicken as it walks up beside me, idly snapping its neck and beginning to much on it. Where is that Maiden? She should be here by now... 

I sigh. Actually, she's probably going to be right on time. I always come early, then get impatient. It's silly, perhaps, but it's the way I operate. 

As I wait, I amuse myself by recalling my latest conquest. Doryll. He was every bit as pretty as Shalla said he was. And tasty too. I close my eyes and bring up the memory. 

"Hey there. You look kind of lost. Are you new here?" 

He looked up at me with those oh-so-innocent violet eyes. "Huh? Oh... yeah. I am. I... I've never marched like this before. Even when we were back up in..." He traied off, obviously reluctant to speak of his past as a Hero. I put my arm around his shoulders. 

"Hey, don't worry about it. I can tell you everything you might need to know." 

And then later... 

"D-Dimitrus... are you sure? I mean, I've never done anything like this. Ever. With anyone. And... we just met. I hardly even know you." 

I kissed him lightly, stroking his hair, then looked into his eyes. "I know. Doryll. I... I know that this is really sudden. And I don't want to push you into anything, but... I really care about you. I've only known you a day, I know, but... Doryll, do you believe in love at first sight?" 

His eyes widened and I heard his breath hitch. He was totally hooked. "I... I've never really thought about it. I guess I do. I mean-" here he blushed and lowered his voice- "who doesn't, right?" 

I kissed him again. "I'm sure Doryll. I'm sure I want this. As long as you do, that is." 

"Oh Gods. Yes. Dimitrus. Yes. I want this." 

Actually, for a virgin, he was quite good. I almost feel sorry for him that his first had to be me. After all, now he'll have to compare all future lovers to me, and let's face it; no one's as good a lover as I am. He tasted nice, I remember. His body was young, and tender. Soft, silky hair, creamy thighs... Such pleasant skin. Yes. Definitely quite worthwhile. 

Ah, there's Shalla. I grin at her as she skitters forward. She's wearing her usual mocking smile. "You got it?" she asks as she approaches. 

I smile and hold up two fingers. Pinched between them is a lock of Doryll's hair that I cut from his head while he was sleeping. "Was there ever any doubt?" I ask. 

She sighs and takes the hair, examining it. "Damn. Lost again. You're too good, Dimitrus. Was it as easy as you thought it would be?" 

I hold out my hand and she returns the hair, along with a pouch containing twenty-five gold pieces. I smile and pocket both. "Well, yes and no. Mostly yes. The hard part was getting to the point of intimacy in the first place. After the first kiss, we pretty much progressed right to the sex." 

"Ooh." She waggles her eyebrows. "You'll have to give me a play-by-play later. So, did you break his heart?" 

I shrug. "I don't know. I didn't stick around long enough to find out. I left before he woke up. Maybe. I did tell him I was in love with him, after all. And he said the same. I think he might have actually meant it." 

"Don't you ever feel guilty?" 

"About breaking hearts?" I look at her skeptically. Since when has Shalla been all moral? "Not really. I mean, that's what I do, right? Besides, I look at it as sort of my duty. I'm toughening them up, making sure that no one takes advantage of them in the future. At least all of my relationships are pretty much one-night stands. Some people would stay with them a while and take them for everything they had." 

She grows quiet and thoughtful for a moment. I'm beginning to worry. Shalla isn't normally the introspective type. "Is everything okay?" I ask gently. 

She smiles at the unfeigned concern in my voice. "Yeah. I just... sometimes I wonder. You take advantage of all these men and women. I can't help but think, what's Doryll going to feel like when he wakes up, you know? He had no romantic experience at all, and then you come along. All of a sudden he thinks he's in love, and then you're gone the next morning with no note or anything. It seems pretty, well, cruel." 

Now I'm incredulous. Since when has Shalla had a conscience? "Come on girl," I say encouragingly, "remember why we're in this? It's a dog-eat-dog world out there. Don't worry about it. Take care of yourself, and have some fun along the way. It's not our problem what happens to other people. They can choose to take it how they will. Now come on. You have to help me put this lock of hair in my collection." 

We walk back towards the Lair. Luckily Zannos's creatures have their own seperate Lair, so I don't have to run into Doryll again. I walk over to my lair and pull out a medium-size leather-bound book. On every page I've used in this book are four locks of hair, each with the name, species, and a distinguishing characteristic of the lover below it. I open it in the middle and flip to the nearest unfilled page. There are two other locks here. I place Doryll's in the bottom left-hand corner. 

I turn to Shalla to ask for her help, but she's already way ahead of me. She holds out a small piece of sticky spider-silk, and I use it to fasten the hair into place. I then rummage under my lair until I come up with a quill and some ink. Underneath the lock I write, "Name: Doryll. Species: Vampire." I pause for a moment, considering, then write, "Characteristics: Violet-eyed virgin." 

Satisfied I close the book, smiling at Shalla. 

She smiles back at me, though it seems a little more half-hearted than usual. Hm. I'll have to get her laid. Maybe not by me (she's smarter than that) but by someone. Maybe that will cure her funk. "Thanks for the gold," I tell her. 

"No problem. I'll keep an eye out for others." She winks at me and skitters off towards her own lair. 

I settle down, prepared to sleep. I didn't get a whole lot of sleep last night, as I was busy screwing Doryll, but tonight should be a bit more restful. 

As I close my eyes, I catch my name in conversation somewhere on the far side of the Lair. I strain to hear what the person is saying. 

"-mitrus? Yeah, right over there." 

Over there? Is someone coming over here? I open my eyes and look around. 

Shit. Doryll. 

The young Vampire spots me and manages to look both relieved and worried at the same time. He heads over to me at a brisk jog, and I take the opportunity to once again admire his physique. But then, I've had that already, so there's no novelty about it, unfortunately. 

"Dimitrus?" he asks when he reaches me. "I-I've been looking for you. You left this morning before I woke up, and I didn't see you in the march. Is something wrong?" 

Damn. I think this may be the first time my victim has ever come looking for me. Remind me never to deal with virgins again. 

"Yeah. Look, about that. Sorry, but I'm not going to see you anymore." 

He looks shocked. "W-what? But why?" 

I sigh and rub my temples. This is going to be difficult. But I can't have him hanging on to me. It would ruin my chances with the next one to come along. "Because. We're done. Over. That's it." 

"Over? But, I thought you... you said..." 

Okay. Looks like I'm going to have to be a bit more blunt. "Look, kid. I know what I said. But I was lying. Really, I just wanted to sleep with you, to see if I could. And you put out like the slut that I know you'll one day grow up to be. So we're done. I've got what I want, and I really don't need you anymore." 

He looks stricken, but I think he got the message. Normally I would try to be a bit more tactful or discreet, but Doryll seems like the type that wouldn't really take a hint. 

"I... oh. Oh." 

Poor thing. I think I may have snapped his brain. How funny. 

"I-I see. So, everything you said yesterday was a complete lie?" 

I shrug. "Not all of it. Just everything relating to emotion. I was being totally honest when I said that you're totally hot and that I appreciate your body. Because you are. And for a virgin, you were pretty decent in bed, too. Don't lose that. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to make up for lost sleep." 

I pretend to close my eyes and settle down to sleep, but in reality I keep one eye open a tiny bit to watch his reaction. 

Several emotions pass over his face in quick succession. Horror, shame, despair. He looks as though he might cry. But I guess I'll never know if he does, because he turns and runs back towards his own Lair. 

Well. That was a bit brutal, perhaps, but he's out of my hair now, so that's okay. 

I sigh and lay back. Maybe now I can finally get some sleep. 

  


  


  


**Evain's Dungeon  
Garreth**

Scouting is within the natural order of a Rogue's job. Really, I'm doing a service to my Keeper. I'm discovering the extent of this ruined Dungeon, mapping it out for him. Everything I'm doing is perfectly legitimate. 

So of course, there's nothing wrong with my picking up a few things that I happen to find along the way. 

Actually, I've found little of value so far. The Treasury was lamentably empty, and the halls aren't exactly strewn with gems. I wander into the Graveyard right off of the Library. Graveyards are one of the better places to search for treasure. After all, decomposing bodies often leave behind the gold in their purses, and they're certainly not going to need it anymore, are they? 

I am not disappointed. There are a few pieces of paper strewn about, what looks like several pages from a book. I hurriedly gather them up. Many Warlocks will pay big money for some new personal spells. I briefly look at what is written on them. "Aura Sheilding by the God Items and What Will Break Them" is the heading on the first. Huh. Sounds like a defense spell, though not one that I've ever heard of. This should be worth something. I roll the papers up and stow them in one of the pouches in my belt. 

That's when I hear it. A strange howling fills the air, unlike anything I've ever heard. It's lupine, I think, but it engenders a mystifying sense of terror within me. Gods below, I've never heard anything so frightening in all my life. What _is_ that? 

I can feel myself slipping into terror and I fight to retain control of my senses. Okay. Loud, scary howling. Umm... dangerous. What do I do? Oh yeah. Right. Dangerous and scary is bad. 

I back up, nearly tripping over my own feet. Damn! I'm not usually this clumsy. It doesn't go with the job. But I manage to scramble up and take off towards the Lair. I'm not being cowardly, I tell myself. But there's safety in numbers and I should warn everyone. Yeah! Warning them. That's what I was doing. Because there's no way that they could hear that howling from all the way... okay. I'm fooling myself. I'm scared shitless. But that doesn't change the fact that the Lair is safer. 

On my way to the Lair I have to pass through the Library, and I find to my surprise that there some creatures are still there. Two Dragons an Angel, a Vampire and a Warlock look around for the source of the howling, all five of them wearing identical looks of surprise and mild fear. Mild? Why in the Shadowrealm aren't they scared? I can feel myself trembling, just being this close to the sound. In fact... where is it coming from? I can't pinpoint the direction. 

I shake my head, taking leave of the disoriented researchers. I don't have time to deal with them. Every man for himself! Who knows where those things are now. (It definitely sounds like there's more than one.) The sound seems to be louder now, so maybe they're chasing us? I gulp at the sound and hurry out the door into the Torture Chamber. 

And stop dead in my tracks. Well, I guess that explains why the sound was louder. 

There are only three walls to this chamber. The third one, to my right, opens up onto a huge expanse of strange, brackish-looking mud and swampy water. There are even... plants? What are plants doing here underground? But I don't have time to think about it, as I am faced with slightly more pressing concerns. 

In front of me, just inside the dungeon proper, stands an enormous white wolf. He's currently sitting on his haunches, having just completed a howl, and is easily six foot high at the shoulder. He looks quite honestly like he's completely capable of devouring me in two bites. 

My heart is in my throat and every cell in my body is sending panic signals, but I can't seem to make my feet move. What is this thing? It's not an ordinary wolf, surely. It's too large, and it's also... transparent. What? I blink in surprise, but looking closer I see that I can indeed partially see through the great beast. 

I hear myself whimper as the giant creature's blood red eyes fix on me, giving me a stare so cold that I can feel the blood in my veins freeze. It sniffs in my general direction, but thankfully does not come any closer. Instead, it turns its head back and howls once again. I nearly fall to my knees in fear. Surely this is not an ordinary terror? I've heard of legendary beasts before that were capable of creating an artificial fear in their victims. Is this possibly one of them? 

I gulp and attempt to regain some control over my legs. Right. Okay... ease around the wall... I move as stealthily as I can manage in this state, edging across the wall towards the open end. About halfway down I remember that I have an invisibility spell and close my eyes just long enough to activate it before continuing my creeping. 

As I do, however, the wolf's gaze snaps to my once again and it sniffs. Oh. Well, obviously my invisibility spell has no effect on it. Right. I'll just... cancel that then. 

I stop my attempt to remain unseen and make a mad dash for the swamp. To my immense surprise and relief, the wolf does not follow me. Instead, I see him continue to sniff the air, padding slowly but inescapably towards the doorway I was just occupying. I gulp and continue to back away. 

Just as its tail disappears through the door, my foot hits something soft and mushy. I look down and find to my surprise that I seem to have sunk ankle-deep into a strange, sucking mud. I pull at my foot and the mud yeilds it with a wet "schlorp" sound, leaving my foot cold, damp, and unpleasant. I shake it distastefully and move to firmer ground. 

Looking around, I see that I have stumbled into the swamp. The mud I stepped in was simply the edge of a path. Further out between the small snaking roads of dry earth, the water seems to become deep. It looks black and forbidding, and is probably frigid, if the temperature of my foot is any indication. Around the edges of the path and in the water, there are indeed plants as I thought. But they are black, strangely absent of any pigmentation. But not dead. Very much alive. Although- I sniff the air. It smells putrid. I feel my nose wrinkle in disgust. Something or things are definitely dead. Dead, and rotting. I look back towards the bank. I am really only a few steps from the bank and the edge of the dungeon. I suppose I should just- 

I am interrupted by a hideous noise. Not howling this time, but something far more worrying, if slightly less fear-inducing. A loud snarling, along with the screams of a creature in terrible pain. And with it the less easily identifiable sounds of flesh and cloth ripping. The wolf is tearing someone apart. Shit. 

Now why isn't this scarier than the howling? Dark Gods, I'm listening to someone getting eaten! There must be some sort of spell in the howl. A magically inflicted terror. 

Not that this isn't pretty terrible in itself. Maybe I should just... stay away. Yeah. That sounds like a very good idea. Stay away from the carnage. Not like I'd be much help in a fight anyway. I'm more for stealth, and it doesn't seem to work on these beasts. No, I think I'll just run. 

My feet seem to get the message before my brain does and I find myself tearing across the intertwining roadways through the swamp. Oh right, _now_ my legs know what to do. 

Or perhaps not. My breath leaves me in a gust as I trip and fall sprawled across the path. My feet are in the water again, and a rock digs quite unpleasantly into my cheek. I must have cut it; I can feel the blood dripping down the side of my face. 

I look down to see what I tripped on and my eyes widen in horror. A strong hand grips my ankle. But the hand is green and decaying, bits of rotting flesh hanging off of it in strips. A corpse's hand. 

I shake my leg violently, trying to dislodge it, but it continues to clutch at me. Dimly, through a haze of fear, I see another hand join the first on the bank, pushing against the ground and levering something out of the water. The owner of the hand. It's- Oh Gods! 

My mind screams the word "Zombie" at me. I've never seen one before. They're not supposed to exist! Zombies have not existed in the Underrealm since the cataclysm that ended the First Age! Undead like this can't be real! 

The Zombie crouched on the path next to me with a death grip on my ankle seems to beg to differ. I draw a dagger from my belt, but I know it will do no good. Stories of Zombies say that they are more powerful than any other undead creature. And judging by the force of its hold, I'd say they're right. 

The Zombie focuses its eyes on me, turning a disgusting, rotting face towards mine. I nearly gag at its hideousness. What the Hell is this thing? Why is it here? And why is it reaching towards me with its other hand?! 

The Zombie's movements are slow, but inexorable. I literally see the hand of death reaching towards me and my life flashes before my eyes. Is this how it's going to end? Is this how I'm going to die? 

Then, quite suddenly, the Zombie is gone. It takes me a few moments to process what happened, but the crunching noises and warm breath by my ear give me a hint. I shriek and backpedal quickly, but the wolf seems to take no notice of me. Instead, it continues to chew apart the corpse of the creature so recently attacking me. 

I look down at my ankle to find a semi-skeletal hand still encircling it. I brush it off with disgust, this time meeting little resistance. I flip the hand back down the path and it twitches feebly, apparently still "alive" to some extent. My stomach churns with nausea. 

The wolf- who, I notice, is even bigger than the first one- snaps up the hand in his powerful jaws and downs it in one gulp. Then it moves on down the path, sniffing its way towards a different pool of water. It pauses for a moment, then darts a snout under the black, brackish surface, coming up with something in its mouth that I do not care to identify. 

I take deep breaths, trying to calm myself, and watch the wolf. But it seems to have lost all interest in me and continues on its way. I scramble to my feet and head off at a run back to the Dungeon, being more careful to avoid the edges of the path this time. 

When I get back I go straight to the Lair. All the other creatures are there by now, including Evain's. I do however notice a strange absence of any and all undead. No trace of any Skeletons, Vampires, or Ghosts is to be found. Until I look up. 

Kaelay has them all, clutched protectively in a net of energy, high above the dungeon. 

We sit together, all of us, in a shivering mass in the center of the Lair, listening to the prowling of the wolves. 

  


  


  


**Zannos's Dungeon  
Zannos**

It has been a long day. Spellcasting and passing into the Shadowrealm take a lot out of you, and I am quite tired. We have created Lairs for the night and our creatures have settled in. I can feel Tharian's energy over his own Lair. He is asleep. Or, as asleep as a Keeper can be, anyway. I suppose in a dormant phase is more accurate. Keepers can't actually lose consciousness. We maintain sort of a gray, half-sensed picture of the world around us. 

I can feel myself fading into this state when suddenly there is a summons at my Heart. Wearily I rouse myself to find out what is going on. A Black Knight stands there, looking worried. Shoot. I dislike it when my creatures are distressed. 

I pause to collect myself for a moment. I must be fully coherent and aware when dealing with my creatures. After a few seconds I am ready. I look at the Knight. Sentieth. Ah. He wouldn't bother me if he didn't think it was important. 

_Yes Sentieth?_ I say calmly. _What is the problem?_

He bows stiffly. He's very formal that way. "I'm sorry to disturb you my Lord," he says, "but something rather disturbing just happened that I feel you should know about." 

I do not comment, waiting for him to elaborate. 

"Sir, earlier tonight..." he pauses, seeming unsure as to how to continue. "Earlier tonight, one of your Vampires came to me and asked me to behead him. Now, I'm not an expert, but that is one of the ways that a Vampire can be killed. And I'm pretty sure that you wouldn't want one of your own creatures suiciding." 

He's right. This is rather disturbing. _I'm taking over,_ I inform him curtly. He nods and I murmur the familiar words of a possession spell, feeling my essence and consciousness entering his body. His mind is immediately open to me and I read into it like a book, looking for the name. 

Ah, Doryll! ...Doryll? Damn! He's suicidal now? That's not good. I had him Turned for a good reason. He should not be trying to kill himself. 

Accustoming myself to the feel of a body, I march towards the Lair. It doesn't take me long to find him; there are few Vampires with me. He is lying in his small wooden coffin, the lid slightly askew. I tear the top off and grab him by the wrist, pulling him into the corridor that we created on our journey here. We can talk privately here. 

He looks confused at first, but recognizes Sentieth and smiles sadly. "So you've changed your mind then?" he assumes. 

I shake my head. "No, Vampire. I have come to find why you would betray your allegiance to me by killing yourself." I do not bother to change my voice to that of my host's, and I see his eyes widens as he realizes what this means. 

"K-Keeper," he stammers. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't think it was... I mean, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have. I just... I'm sorry." 

I sigh inwardly. Obviously, Dorryl has problems. "Vampire," I start, then decide to switch tactics. Formality won't get me anywhere. I sit down, pulling him with me, and lean my back against the wall. "Look, Doryll. Why don't you tell me what's wrong, okay? I might be able to help you." 

"You can't." Doryll sniffles. He looks like he's about to cry. "You can't make him love me." 

Ah. Damn, who's been messing with this boy's emotions? That is not what he needs. He's too important. "Who, Doryll? What happened?" 

Doryll looks up at me with incredible violet eyes. The story he proceeds to spill is slightly confused and full of tangled emotions, but I manage to sort out the actual facts from his chaotic narrative. Apparently he was seduced and then thrown away by a Dark Angel in Tharian's Dungeon. From the sound of it, he was in pretty deep. 

The end of the tale finds him sprawled in my lap, crying on my shoulder. Someone has really hurt this boy, and I cannot stand for that. Not only because of his importance. He is one of my creatures. I dislike it when others damage my creatures. 

Doryll finally finishes his weeping and wipes at his eyes, looking embarrassed. 

"Are you alright?" I ask softly, and he nods. We stay like that for a while, him tucked in my loose embrace, and eventually his breathing softens, and his shuddering stops. 

"I'm sorry," he whispers after a moment. "I shouldn't have tried to..." 

I stroke his hair gently. "It's alright. You are forgiven. Just please, don't do it again. You are very important to us. To our cause. ...To me." 

He pulls back a little bit, blinking, and looks at me curiously. The suddenly he smiles shyly and leans in close, giving me a feather-soft kiss. Needless to say I am mildly shocked and can do nothing but sit in stunned silence as he blushes and takes off back towards the Lair. 

As I leave the body of the Knight, I can still feel the light pressure of his lips against my own. 

  


  


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Oh God, that was hideous. Take me back.   
or   
Oh God, that was hideous. Let me complain to the author. 


	5. Chapter 4

Keeper Secrets: 4 Allegiances  
Chapter 4

**-------------------  
Author's Notes: I can't do it. I wanted to make Dimitrus a real jerk that you totally had to hate, and I would still like to, but I'm finding it really hard to do. For some reason, I keep finding myself liking him. **

Okay, so here's the question for this time, please PLEASE tell me what you think in your reviews: Should Tharian be nice, or a jerk? I'm thinking of his reaction to something that will happen in the future, and I'm not sure whether to have him act as a nice guy or become someone that we'll dislike. What do you guys think? 

Dungeon Keepers I and II belong to Bullfrog, not to me. I am not making money off of this story, so please don't sue me. 

Subtitle for this chapter: In which the plot thickens, emotionally speaking. 

Warning: This story contains slash (male/male romance). If you object to this, please don't read it. Keep in mind that if you flame me, not only did you ignore your fair warning, but you were stupid enough to go through and read something that disgusted you. 

For notes on this story and this series, please go to this site for reference. (Note: If you are reading this on fanfiction.net, you will not be able to use that link. Please see my profile for the link to that reference page.) (Also note that this page is not the same as the one linked to in Dungeon Secrets; this one is more complete and contains the entire series.) 

If anyone would be interested in beta-reading for me and you think you are capable, please contact me at kaged_tiger@hotmail.com. Also contact me if you have any information as to what happened to Vagabond. Did she just, die or something? 

This is my story. If you would like to archive it, please inform me first. I will almost definately say yes. 

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge one of the many people who give me the determination to keep going on this monster of a fic. This chapter, a big hug to Seiat. Apparently he liked the first installment of this enough to take one of the characters' names as his own ff.net screen name. ^_^ I'm touched! Thank you for reading. 

On with the fic.  
------------------- 

**Kaelay's Dungeon  
Tarkasas**

I can feel Ramasha trembling in my arms, and this surprises me. Despite what it seemed when I first met him, my Angel is actually a very strong person. But I suppose I can understand why. The howling of these wolves is not normal. I have see dozens, maybe hundreds of battles in my lifetime, and yet I have never felt a fear of the kind that I feel when I hear these wolves howl. There is some sort of magic in the sound, some hypnotic fear. But still, Ramasha seems to be reacting a bit intensely. 

"Are you all right?" I whisper in his ear. All of the creatures in the dungeons of Evain and our Mistress, save for the undead, are huddled together in a tight group in the center of the Lair. No one speaks louder than a frantic whisper, for fear of alerting the predators even now prowling through this dungeon. 

He shakes his head slightly, pressing himself more tightly against me. "I-I know what these are. I've read of them. I... I saw one dismember a Vampire right in front of my eyes. It just... ripped him to pieces. It was horrible. So much blood." 

Well, that would explain his trembling then. Ramasha has been in quite a few battles since he joined Kaelay's Dungeon, but there's still nothing quite as extreme as seeing an animal rip into its prey, especially when the prey is someone you know. Or knew, as the case may be. 

"You know what these things are?" I question quietly. 

His hair brushes my cheek as he nods, and I savor the sensation. He is sitting between my legs with his back to me, my arms around his waist. It's a little awkward with his wings, but if he keeps them very slightly extended, I can rest my chin on his shoulder quite neatly. 

"They're called Astral Wolves," he explains in hushed tones. "Huge beasts that can shift to and from the Shadowrealm at will. They're sort of... well, it's hard to explain. I guess you could call them a cleanup crew. They destroy any souls that should have died but are somehow unable to make it back to the Shadowrealm. Which means that they are also very fond of eating the undead, since that's the method that they use to take care of these souls. No undead, not even a Vampire, can regenerate itself if attacked by an Astral Wolf. They won't hurt us. Live creatures are of little or no interest to them. But they will definitely be attracted to them." He glances upward and I follow his gaze to the collection of undead creatures that Kaelay holds high above us, which I now realize must be to protect them from the wolves. 

"So, they're not going to hurt us?" I ask him. "Then why are we all here like this?" 

"Would you want to be anywhere near a hungry Demon Spawn on his way to the hatchery?" he retorts. "And this is on an even bigger scale. These creatures are more destructive than any of us could ever hope to be. Each of them is almost as powerful as a Horned Reaper, _and_ they travel in packs. I'll leave the rest to your imagination." 

I grimace. He's not kidding, that could be quite gruesome. 

We sit in silence for the moment as another eerie howl washes over us, causing renewed fearful whispers throughout the entire group. 

"What do you think Kaelay's going to do with the undead?" Ramasha asks me softly. 

"I have no idea," I honestly reply, "they'll be pretty useless if the whole area between here and the Phoenixdown is infested with these Astral Wolves." 

"It probably won't be," he says, his trembling finally beginning to ease. "Astral wolves are normally quite territorial, unless they exhaust their food supply. My guess is that their hunting grounds only extend to this Realm. How close are we to the Phoenixdown anyway?" 

"I'm not sure," I reply, "but we must be pretty close. Kaelay and Evain were talking, and it sounds like we should get there tomorrow." 

There is another howl and then a horrible wet tearing noise as one of the wolves finds another creature on which to prey. I shudder. The sooner we can get out of here, the better. 

**Tharian's Dungeon  
Dimitrus**

I sit on the edge of the Guard Room, playing with my ceremonial knife. Since Doryll came to me, I haven't been able to get back to sleep. It's not that I feel guilty about what I did to him, it's just that... 

Damn. I feel guilty about what I did to him. 

I sigh gustily and rake a hand through my hair. This is all Shalla's fault. She was the one who pointed out the fact that no one has ever broken his heart before. I've never cared about doing that to anyone before, but everyone else has been thick-skinned and I knew they would get over it. Doryll was weak and innocent. I probably scarred him for the rest of his life. 

I try to brush it off the way I do everything else, but I can't. Shit. Just sitting here moping isn't going to help me get over this. I stand up, replacing my knife, and pace the perimeter of the Guard Room. 

Along our journey there have been very few of these rooms. We mostly haven't needed them. But this time Tharian said that Zannos sensed the energy of another Keeper, perhaps two, in a nearby Realm, and he doesn't want to take risks. 

I pass by one of the entrances, where a Dark Elf sits in conversation with a Skeleton. Those two are probably the most common creatures found in Guard Rooms. Dark Elves are natural guards, and Skeletons do not need food or sleep, so they often have little else to do once they become powerful. 

As I walk by them, I pause to listen to their conversation. 

"-almost there," says the Skeleton. 

"I know," the Dark Elf responds. "It's supposed to be just the next Realm over. But Keeper Zannos did a Sight of Evil and he says that it's not pure earth from here to the Impenetrable Rock. Eventually there's some kind of swamp that we're gonna break into." 

"Really? How do you know?" 

"Oh, my lover, Sentieth, is in pretty tight with our Keeper. He sometimes overhears Zannos planning things with Tharian. And he gets a lot of good gossip, too." 

The Skeleton looks suddenly interested and smiles at her. "Ah? Like what?" 

The Dark Elf grins. Dark Elves love gossip. It stands to reason, I suppose. They are, after all, a race of females who do little other than stand around talking to each other all day. With bright eyes, she tells the Skeleton, "You know that new Vampire in the Dungeon, Doryll? Well, Sentieth says that he kissed Zannos while the Keeper was in possession of Sentieth's body. There might be a thing between them." 

The Skeleton says something in reply, but I don't hear it. Doryll and Zannos? Now that's odd. Keeper relationships with creatures are rare and seldom last. The two are just not compatible. But then, Doryll wouldn't know that, would he? I think back to the Vampire and realize that he is far too naive to understand the problems of a creature's relationship with a Keeper. And didn't Shalla say that he is not an Elder Vampire, but a turned Hero? 

Hmm. This is interesting indeed. Especially since I am one of the few creatures who knows exactly how our own Keeper feels about Zannos. I wonder how Tharian will take this information? 

**Evain's Dungeon  
Evain**

I hover nervously as Kaelay holds all the undead creatures, hers and my own, within a net of power high above the dungeon floor. _What are we going to do?_ I ask her. _Those wolves aren't going to leave as long as we have undead with us. Even if we didn't, we're in their territory. We can't get rid of them._

_No,_ says Kaelay thoughtfully, _We can't. But there is one thing we can do. We can get the creatures into the next Realm. We only have twelve undead. With eight living guards, we can take all of them through one portal into the next Realm. I doubt they'll follow us outside the impenetrable rock._

Hmmm. Well, it sounds good on the surface. _Just one problem,_ I tell her. _We don't have a Heart in the next Realm yet. There's no way for us to get Imps into the Realm, and therefore no way to get a tunnel past the Realm Border and no way to get the creatures into the Realm. No Heart, no sanctuary._

_I know,_ she says gravely, turning her attention fully to me. _Which is why you're going to go to the next Realm and create a Heart._

_What?! Kaelay, you know I can't do that!_ What is she thinking? That's beyond me! _That's nonsense. If one of us should go on, it should be you. You have more energy than I do._

_That's why I have to stay here,_ she says. _Someone has to protect the creatures. Besides, I don't want to risk putting the undead down long enough to transfer them. The wolves are fast, and we lost three creatures before we got them here._

_But Kaelay, I _can't_. I don't know how to find my way in the Shadowrealm. Don't make me do this._

Kaelay extends a small tendril of energy towards me, a major concession considering how much she's expending keeping up something as complex as that net. It's unbelievably tender, which is not something I often get from her. I can feel her smiling at me. 

_Evain,_ she says, _you can do this. I have faith in you._

Well. How can I say no after that? 

I nod and send her a bit of my own energy back before taking a deep breath and plunging down through the heart into the Shadowrealm. 

The Darknesses are cold as they envelop me, and I instinctively seek out the warm familiarity of the Red Darkness. But they are too mixed for me to sense it particularly, of course, and I plow on. I need to hurry. My energy is very limited, and I must find the new Realm quickly. 

I dive deep before turning my gaze up towards the surface. As before, I let my consciousness find Kaelay's. It happens easily by now. I know her signature as well as I know my own. There, above me, her Hearts light up like campfires, the pale red aura of her Dungeon spreads between them like water, pooling in some areas, running in thin streams in others. 

I try to focus on the path we've been traveling. It shouldn't be hard; it's the only offshoot that continues as a thin corridor for several Realms. I lock onto it and follow it with my mind as it gets further and further away from the main body of her dungeon. Then finally... there! I see the last Heart. 

But which direction? I can feel panic rising within me and I force it down. I need to be calm. I need to think. I need to ignore the energy seeping away from me every second that I am in this accursed abyss. Right. Focus. There's the latest corridor. I need to continue that straight on. That's not hard, right? Just follow the course with your mind... 

I focus on the area directly in front of the path, feeling out the extent of the next Realm with my mind. Then, concentrating on one spot within it, I shoot towards the surface. It is good that I found it quickly; I do not have much energy left. 

I get closer and closer to the surface and prepare to break through- 

Only to slam into a hard barrier. What is this?! I can't break through into the Realm! I push against the rock, but it does not yield. I'm beginning to panic again and I push harder, slamming myself against it. Whatever it is, rock or other, it's not going to budge. 

My energy is short now. I can feel it draining. I feel like I'm drowning. Oh Gods! Someone help me! Kaelay, anyone! I think I'm moving, but I can't tell. Am I moving? Or is the earth moving around me? Am I dizzy? Is it spinning? Or am I staggering forward? What's going on? I can't breathe! Which way is up? I don't know anymore! 

I brush against something. Something soft. Soft? Can I... yes. Yes, I can. I push against it as hard as I can and fall through into the Realm above, breaking through the ground in a new Heart. I lie there for a few moments, trying to regain my senses. What happened? I did everything correctly. I was just going towards the Realm and suddenly I couldn't get through. Why? What stopped me? 

As I slowly regain my energy, I take stock of my surroundings. Where did I emerge? Looking about, I see that I'm... Damn! I'm still in the same Realm in which I started. The new Heart I created is situated on the very edge of the Realm, right next to the Impenetrable Rock that blocks the way into the next Realm. My Heart is situated precariously on a small island of land within the swampy earth that makes up half of this Realm. A little bit to either side and it would have been half-submerged in water. 

The paths through this marsh twist and writhe like serpents, criss-crossing each other randomly and disappearing into the rock border. 

I stare at the ends of the paths. Something seems unusual about them. Something that I feel should be obvious. What is it...? 

Of course! The paths just disappear into the Impenetrable Rock. Landforms seldom end abruptly like this at a Realm Border unless they existed before the Border was formed and the Impenetrable Rock grew over them. Which means that these paths likely continue into the next Realm. Which means... 

I rouse myself, pulling together enough energy to move and heading back towards Kaelay. I can sense her worry as I approach; obviously she sensed that I did not make it into the next Realm. 

_What happened?_ she asks. 

_I'm not sure,_ I admit. _I did everything correctly, but when I hit the border between the Shadowrealm and the Underrealm, something stopped me. It was strange, like some sort of barrier that covered the entire bottom of that Realm. There was no way for me to make Heartstone or break through. But I do have some good news._

_You'd better,_ she mutters, as the wolves howl again, nearer than ever. 

_I believe that these swamp paths continue into the next Realm. We might not need Imps right away. We can take the Undead to the Realm Border right now and create the Border Portal first._

She nods, and I notice for the first time how badly her energy is flagging. She is performing all this with no rest, still drained from all the Hearts we created during today's journey. We need to get these creatures to safety, and soon. 

I pick up some creatures to act as guards for the Undead while we cast the spell, enough to bring the total number of creatures to twenty. Passing over our Imps who are even now claiming the pathways through the swamp, we head towards the Realm Border. 

**Zannos's Dungeon  
Doryll**

Dawn approaches, though it is impossible to see it underground. What I miss most as a Vampire is seeing the light. I miss dawn, and the warmth of sunlight on my skin. Everything underground always seems so cold. Even in Realms with lava, I always feel as though there is some piece of myself deep inside that is very cold. 

We march through a thin corridor leading towards the Realm Border, eventually breaking through into a strange marsh. At this point, Zannos insists on carrying all the Undead. I am not sure why this is, but allow myself to be picked up without a fight. There are not many Undead between the two Keepers, so it does not require a great amount of strength. I try to relax myself with the comforting feel of my Keeper's energy surrounding me, but it is difficult. 

I still feel desperately out of place in the Underrealm, even more than I did above ground. Even with all the jeering and hatred I received in the Overrealm, at least there I knew that I was among my own kind. Here I feel as though I'm an outsider. The only other Vampire here is an Elder Vampire, not even the one who turned me. Try as I might, I can't relate to him. 

We reach the Realm Border and Tharian casts the Realm Portal spell. Zannos drops us and ushers us through, possessing a Demon Spawn and following quickly after. As he breaks through, a strange howling can be heard from the Realm we just left. It sends an inexplicable shiver of fear down my spine and I hurry over the swamp paths to the new corridor that our Imps are digging out. 

As I travel down the rough passage, I overhear snatches of the Keepers' conversation. 

_-safe?_ asks Tharian. 

_-s. ... -Undead- ... -only have to worry about- ... -won't go outside the swamp,_ replies Zannos. 

Zannos. I feel my face flush. I can't believe I kissed him. I don't know why I did it. I was feeling vulnerable and exposed and beyond needy after that fiasco with Him. So I kissed him. It was probably a bad idea. He is my Keeper, and I have no right to claim any affection from him. 

Suddenly, excited murmuring starts up ahead of me. I hurry forward to see what it is. The Imps have broken into another open area of the Underrealm. This time, a huge lake spreads out before us, ending in a tight little knot of Impenetrable Rock towards the center. From here I just barely make out an opening through the center of the Rock, though it looks like one would have to swim through water to pass through it. 

The reason it is difficult to see is not just because of the distance. Over all of this, coming nearly to the edge of the lake, is a nearly transparent white membrane in the shape of a perfect dome. As I watch, the color swirls over the surface, like oil in moving water, becoming slightly more opaque in some places, and thinning to transparency in others, each area of color evanescent, lasting no more than a few seconds. 

_Doryll?_ Zannos asks from above us. 

I nod and wade into the water, knowing what I have to do. This is the reason that Zannos came to me in the first place. This is the reason why I was hated, mocked, shunned, as a human, and the reason that I allowed myself to be turned. This is why I'm here. 

I put my hands against the white shield and concentrate. 

  


- Previous Chapter I Next Chapter -

  
Oh God, that was hideous. Take me back.   
or   
Oh God, that was hideous. Let me complain to the author. 


	6. Chapter 5

Keeper Secrets: 4 Allegiances  
Chapter 5

**-------------------  
Author's Notes: Now it looks like I'm going to be making Tharian a jerk. -_- ::sigh:: And I wanted to like him. This is so backwards. What do you guys think? Which character, Dimitrus or Tharian, should be a real jerk? Or both, perhaps? **

Dungeon Keepers I and II belong to Bullfrog, not to me. I am not making money off of this story, so please don't sue me. 

Subtitle for this chapter: Much-anticipated Backstory on Doryll. 

Warning: This story contains slash (male/male romance). If you object to this, please don't read it. Keep in mind that if you flame me, not only did you ignore your fair warning, but you were stupid enough to go through and read something that disgusted you. 

For notes on this story and this series, please go to this site for reference. (Note: If you are reading this on fanfiction.net, you will not be able to use that link. Please see my profile for the link to that reference page.) (Also note that this page is not the same as the one linked to in Dungeon Secrets; this one is more complete and contains the entire series.) Ramasha's picture is now up! 

If anyone would be interested in beta-reading for me and you think you are capable, please contact me at kaged_tiger@hotmail.com. Also contact me if you have any information as to what happened to Vagabond. Did she just, die or something? 

This is my story. If you would like to archive it, please inform me first. I will almost definitely say yes. 

In case you didn't notice, I have formed an update schedule. New chapters, if I have them, will appear on the first of each month (possibly one or two days later on fanfiction.net). Thank you. 

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge one of the many people who give me the determination to keep going on this monster of a fic. Kulatu and RalKirGard were extremely helpful since the publication of the last chapter. They pointed out to me that Vampires cannot, in fact, cross water or enter it. >_ 

On with the fic.  
------------------- 

**Kaelay's Dungeon  
Kaelay**

I hover over the edge of the Realm Border nervously while Evain tries to muster together enough energy to cast the Border Portal spell. I hope to the Shadowrealm that he's right about the paths continuing. If not, then we are in serious trouble. Twenty five of our original forty creatures is not an auspicious number, and I very much doubt that we will find a portal in the next Realm. 

I feel Evain concentrate and begin to mutter, casting the spell. The energy seeps from the new Heart he created right next to the Border and moves to the Impenetrable Rock, pooling in one place with a dull red glow. Slowly it forms itself into an archway. 

Then, all of a sudden, a brighter red appears at the edges of the arch and the whole thing flashes once. When the light disappears, a stone arch with decorative engravings remains, surrounding the slightly red, mirrored surface of a portal. No one knows exactly why these portals have such rich and ornate borders. Like the Hearts, or anything else that Keepers create, the energy seems to have a mind of its own and creates these things naturally. 

The Astral Wolves have followed us here, lured by the scent of the Undead. I fear for releasing the creatures now, but it has to be done. I briefly consider setting one at a distance as a decoy so that the rest can get through, but I doubt it would work. Astral wolves are extremely intelligent, and besides that there are far too many of them for that ruse to be effective. 

_Are you ready?_ I ask Evain quietly. He's got the guards, so he will have to drop them first. 

Evain signals his affirmative, and we begin. 

Evain drops the guard creatures all at once, and I wait only until they have recovered from stunning before dropping the Undead behind them. As predicted, the Wolves surge forward, throwing themselves against the line of guards. The creatures fight valiantly, but I can see almost immediately that it will not be enough. 

_Evain!_ I call, _Get to the next Realm and make sure that all the Undead get there okay! I'll hold them off here!_

Evain seems uncertain, but he knows better than to question my judgment and he hurries into the next Realm. I try to think quickly. I need more warriors. Who are my strongest? I quickly call a handful of fighters to me, knowing that the disorientation that being directly teleported to me causes will cost me some time. But it would cost me an even greater amount of time to go back to the dungeon and pick them up, so this will have to do. 

I drop them, but I cannot stand to see them fighting like this. They need more power! I grimace and mutter a possession spell, choosing the nearest creature as my target and entering his body. 

Ah. Tarkasas. I quickly fight my way through his surface thoughts: disorientation, fear for Ramasha, his Knightly sense of duty. Brutally I take control of his senses, raising his sword just in time to catch the brunt of an assault on my arm. I can feel the tremor running through my whole body as the immense beast fights to go after the Undead. But I hold steady. I will not allow my creatures to be destroyed. 

I let the beasts press me forward a little bit as the Undead quickly flee through the Portal. Seven still remain in this Realm. Then five. Then two. Then one. And then they're gone. I would breathe a sigh of relief, but I can't allow the pause. Instead I concentrate on fighting back the wolves, who are... still advancing? 

Shit. Shit, this is not good. I finally realize the situation we are in. The Undead and their guards have all gone through, but only twenty creatures are able to pass through a Portal before it reaches its limit. Which means that the eight or so extra creatures I brought in are now backed up against Impenetrable Rock, surrounded by a semi-circle of angry, huger-maddened Wolves. 

No. No, no, no. I don't want to lose these fighters. They are some of my best. But if I leave them here long enough to create another Portal, then the Wolves will surely kill them. I should... I should leave this body, then pick them all up immediately. Would that work? 

No. Even as I shove off one of the wolves and look around me, I realize that the creatures I brought have rallied around me, their leader. If I exit this body now, the moment of confusion it would create would be just long enough for the Wolves to pounce. And then it would be all over. 

Swearing, I fall back further until my back touches the stone wall. If I lose these fighters, then saving the Undead will have been completely worthless. But how can I pull them out of this? Already one of the other Knights is favoring one arm, and I can see blood running in a heavy stream from the side of a Dark Elf. If I don't do something quickly, I'll lose them all anyway through inaction. 

I move slowly to the side, my back sliding against the wall. No, my best bet is to warn the creatures, then exit this body. I'll probably lose Tarkasas in the process. The disorientation of having me leave will lower his guard completely. Maybe I can get one of the other creatures to cover for him. Maybe I should- 

Suddenly, my back presses against something soft that gives. Startled, I move back against it, feeling it give further and further as I push backwards. Then suddenly I feel it resist slightly, as though I am leaning against a taut piece of fabric. Not sure what exactly is happening, but acting on intuition, I shove back against, hard. 

And I tumble into the next Realm. 

**Tharian's Dungeon  
Tharian**

I watch intently as Zannos's Vampire wades into the pool of water around this strange white barrier. How can he do that, anyway? Vampires can't touch water. It's not possible. ...Is it? 

Apparently it must be, for the water stains his robes almost to his hips as he finally reaches the wall and places his hands on it, closing his eyes. 

After a few moments he speaks. His voice sounds very strange, devoid of emotion and almost entirely monotone. It also sounds strangely hollow, as though it is coming from a great distance away. 

"A wall," he says softly. "A barrier, created for the purpose of protection. Placed here by... the object itself. The God Items are not defenseless. The... shield. Yes. Shield. The shield is created by the Phoenixdown so that those unworthy may not possess it. If you can reach the Phoenixdown and possess it, then you may lower the shield. In order to reach it, however, you must pass through the shield. 

_But,_ I say, confused, _that's impossible. It's a paradox. In order to lower the barrier you must reach the object, but in order to reach the object you must lower the barrier?_

Zannos motions for me to be quiet and let the Vampire continue speaking. 

"You do not need to destroy the shield to reach the Phoenixdown," the boy says. "You need only to pass through it. Only those possessing the proper qualities may pass through the shield." 

_What qualities are these?_ Zannos asks softly. 

The Vampire frowns, then jumps back from the barrier as though burned, his eyes flying open. He blinks for a few moments, reorienting himself, then shakes his head. "I am sorry Keeper," he says softly. "I cannot See." 

_That is alright,_ says Zannos, though I can tell that he is as anxious to know the answer to that question as I am. Instead he ushers the Vampire and all the other creatures back to the makeshift Lair that joins our two dungeons in this Realm. 

_What do you think it means?_ I ask as soon as we're alone. 

Zannos is silent for a few seconds and does not respond. Finally he turns to me, sounding very serious. _Doryll is always accurate. If he says the Phoenixdown is shielding itself, then that means that it is. It is only a matter now of finding which creatures posses the qualities necessary to pass through the shield and retrieve the Phoenixdown._

_Well, that won't be a problem, right?_ I ask. I want to feel relieved, but a certain edge in Zannos's manner makes me wary. _We have all the time we need, so we can just stay here and test it until we find out, right?_

Zannos gives the impression of shaking his head, confirming my suspicions. _No, we do not have unlimited time. Do you remember the two powers I spoke to you of yesterday?_

_Yes,_ I affirm. 

_They are here now, in this Realm. They have just entered it. They are on the opposite side of the shield from us. No doubt they are here for the same purpose._

No. Others? Impossible! We were the only ones who knew of this Realm, the only ones who had the map. Weren't we? Obviously not. I have no doubt that Zannos is completely sure of what he is saying. If he weren't, he would not have said it. 

_So we must attack them quickly, correct?_ I ask. Obviously we must rid ourselves of these rivals as soon as possible. 

But to my surprise, Zannos again indicates a negative. _Be patient, Tharian. Keep a cool head. That is what our Color is known for. No, there is no point in fighting now. As it is, they are stopped by the same barrier as we. Perhaps the four of us together can come up with some solution. There is no point in meaningless bloodshed until we have something to fight over._

He pauses, and I get the impression of a slight, smug smile. _Besides,_ he says, _One of these Keepers is an old friend of mine. I believe that we shall have little problem making an allegiance with them. Until, of course, such time as we find a way to diffuse the shield._

An answering satisfaction spreads through me. _Of course._

**Evain's Dungeon  
Evain**

I smile slightly to myself as Kaelay exults in the new breakthrough in the Border Portal spell. No pun intended. 

She explained to me how she fell through the Portal Membrane while in possession of the body of a Black Knight. Apparently the energy of a Keeper was enough to break the Limit, allowing her and all of her creatures to flee into this Realm. The wolves, for which reasons I am entirely unaware, have decided not to follow us. 

After abandoning the Dark Knight's body in this Realm, Kaelay returned to the former and brought with her the rest of the creatures. The best part of this whole affair is that with the Portal Limit broken, the Imps can travel freely into this Realm. As of this moment, they have created a perfectly serviceable dungeon just past the extent of the swamp on this side. The creatures are already settling into the Lair. 

I wonder why there are no Astral Wolves in this Realm, though there appears to be the same type of swamp. I did some reconnaissance along the Border of this Realm, and it seems as though the swamp surrounds the entire area. That must mean that it extends into all the surrounding Realms. I wonder if any of them have Astral Wolves? 

I consider asking Kaelay this question, as it might actually have some relevance to our situation, but I stop short as I approach her. She seems preoccupied, and nervous. Nervous? Something must be seriously wrong, then. 

_What's up?_ I ask, approaching her. 

_We are not alone in this Realm,_ she states calmly. 

What? Not alone? She can't mean... 

_There's another Keeper here?_

_Two of them._

_TWO?!_ Not that we can't handle them, but... Damn! I had not anticipated this. I do not doubt Kaelay's information. The Darkness would have told her if another Keeper had entered the Realm, even if she couldn't sense it herself. With her senses heightened by the Darkness, she often can sense these things on her own anyway. 

She turns to me, and I sense a strange, wide-eyed uncertainty that is entirely unlike her. 

_Evain,_ she says, _one of them is Zannos._

**Zannos's Dungeon  
Doryll**

I wander wearily back to the Lair, collapsing into my own coffin in one corner of the room. Since we are sharing a space with the creatures from Tharian's Dungeon, I took special care to make certain that my lair would be as far as possible from... His. 

I lie still for a moment, allowing my muscles to relax and enjoying the sensation of rest. Using my skills purposefully like that always tires me greatly, and I wish nothing more at this moment than sleep. But typically, thoughts swirl defiantly in my head. Sleep will yet be a moment, it seems. 

My mind drifts, thinking of the trance today at the shield. Slowly my thoughts wander back to the time when I first came to this Dungeon. 

Perhaps my most vivid memory is that the prison floor was cold. Unbearably cold. I remember curling myself into a ball to conserve as much body heat as I could and trying not to listen to the faint, anguished screams of my companions being tortured. 

Companions. Hn. A part of my mind berated me for still thinking of them that way, but I could not help it. They were human. No matter what their purpose, they came with me to the Underrealm, and they had not intended for this to happen. 

To them, anyway. 

I trembled as a particularly tortured scream was cut off abruptly with a gurgling noise. Looking around our cell I could see the two remaining members of our party huddled together, talking in hushed whispers. I longed to go to them, talk to them, try to get any sort of comfort from the presence of another human being. But I knew better than that by now. They blamed me for this. Everyone always blamed me for everything. 

A skittering sound to my right caught my attention and I jerked up, prepared despite the chill numbing my limbs to flee if I had to. An enormous Spider, the likes of which I had never seen before we entered this foul place, clicked its way across the hard stone and earth floor of the Prison. I could feel its predatory gaze piercing me and I tried very hard not to react to it, but I could feel my whole body shaking in terror. 

I had watched that same Spider clack its jaws at another prisoner and freeze him into a solid block of ice. I knew it wouldn't do that to us. The Voice - that horrible, monstrous voice that made me want nothing more than to curl in on myself and disappear from the face of the planet - had told it not to. 

Suddenly I felt it come again - the presence that accompanied the Voice. I felt my shuddering start all over again and the blood stop cold in my veins as it approached like a roiling cloud, freezing everything it touched. 

I felt it searching, looking at each of us in the Prison in turn. I pulled my knees closer to my chest and prayed that it would not notice me, that it would leave me be and choose someone else. But all my prayers simply seemed to draw its attention to me. 

I had a split second to realize that I could see my breath in the air before I felt the presence wrap and enfold me, lifting me up in what I would have described in any other being as a gentle manner, and carrying me high above the surface of the dungeon. 

I wept, bitterly. I could no longer contain the grief and the fear that ate at my heart and it overwhelmed me finally. I wept, tears streaming down my face, and wondered that they did not freeze and fall to the ground as ice. 

Below me I glimpsed the Torture Chamber, where a strange small insect-like creature was carrying away the remains of one of my former guards. The sight sickened me, though not as much as the terror at the thought that that was where I was bound - I would be next for the wheel or the spikes or the chair. The smell of blood was heavy in my nostrils; I could almost taste the harsh bite of the coppery liquid on my tongue. 

But we passed over it. I could barely register my own relief as the hand which supported me slipped silently past that room and on to another. This one was much starker, containing nothing more within its gray walls than a gray table set upon a tiled and equally gray floor. The table was low, obviously meant to be sat around during the planning of battles, if the tactical maps on top of it were any indication. The Lord back above ground had had a similar room in his keep. I had seen it but once; it was where he informed me of what they planned to do with me. 

The Voice came again, as cold as ever. 

_Sit,_ it said, and made an invisible yet unmistakable gesture to the table. 

I obeyed, too frightened to do anything else, and sat at the edge of the table, folding my legs beneath me. It was disconcerting, not knowing the location of the voice which was speaking to me. I hesitated, not sure whether it expected me to speak. 

_Ah, but you are disturbed by my natural form. I shall make this more comfortable for you._

A form manifested in the air within the energy, only to drop to the ground heavily. Flinching backwards, I saw that the fallen creature had strange, crimson robes. As it lifted itself awkwardly onto its hands, I saw also that its face was a pristine, white mask. Set within it, like blood red jewels, were two sharp, hungry crimson eyes. A Vampire. 

I expected it to attack, but it didn't. Instead, it simply stood, eyes half-lidded, and waited expectantly. A low, thick chanting began overhead. It was no more than a few words, but it seemed to echo within my very soul. Then suddenly the icy presence above us dissolved, funneling down into the body of the Vampire. 

"Is this more to your liking?" he asked. I could hear the power of the presence resonating behind the words and knew that I was no longer addressing the Vampire. I felt helpless, and could do nothing but nod. 

"Good," he said approvingly, moving with a natural, sweeping grace to sit beside me, folding himself to the ground like a cat. "We have much to discuss," he said. 

"M-me?" I stammered, my voice coming out as little more than a squeak. It was incomprehensible; what on earth could a creature so powerful want with me? 

"You were brought here as a sacrifice to me, were you not?" The voice was calm and not at all demanding. It held only simple curiosity, and a patience that was so akin to kindness that I found myself gradually relaxing, against all expectations. 

"Yes," I whispered. Because it was true. The men _had_ brought me here as a sacrifice, hoping to appease this very demon that sat before me. They had thought that presenting it with one cursed such as I was would pacify him, and that he would then leave them in peace. 

"One of the men we tortured claimed that you were a demon. Is this true?" He sounded unremorseful, caring nothing at taking the life of a man who was hard-working, brave, and had a family. And yet his willingness to listen to me was more than anyone else had shown me in a long, long time. 

"It's not true!" I protested weakly. "I'm not a demon! I am a human, just as they are." 

"Then why do they say this?" The calm in his eyes was belied by the intense spark of interest in the ruby depths. I felt that he was testing me, waiting to see how I would answer. 

"My powers," I said quietly, unable to meet that intense gaze. "I know things, sometimes. Usually I can sense them when I touch objects, but sometimes they just come to me. And... my eyes." I stop, unsure whether I need to elaborate. My eyes are violet. Did he know that among humans, only demons were thought to have purple eyes? That, coupled with my powers, they had been enough to damn me? I felt my hands clenching at my sides, tears of helpless rage coming to my eyes. Damn them! I was not a demon! I was just as human as any of them, if only they could have opened their eyes enough to see it! 

I was startled into looking up by a chill whisper of undead flesh against my cheek. I looked up at him as he reached forward and gently brushed the tears from my face. I was too shocked to react to this. Eventually he sat back and gave me a calculating stare. 

"I have a... place for you," he said slowly. "I could use powers such as you have." 

He paused, giving me a moment to assimilate this. I was floored. I tried assimilate this into my mind, but it was incomprehensible. "You... You're asking if I want to join you?" I asked timidly, still not sure I understood. 

The demon in the Vampire's body shook his head. "Do not misunderstand me," he said. "I will have your powers one way or another. I am not sure if they would work under possession, but it will cost me nothing to try. However," and here his attention became intensely focused on me, "I would much prefer if you were willing. If you would like, I will allow you to become a member of my Dungeon. You will be treated respectfully by all my other creatures, and I shall treat you as one of them. No more, no less." 

He paused, obviously waiting to see how this offer affected me. I felt as though I couldn't think clearly. He was offering me a place. Somewhere to belong. Even if I was a demon, and I had had my own doubts about that more than once, I would fit in here. Many of these creatures were demonic. I would be no different. I would be simply one of them. 

Them. It was an unaccustomedly sweet word. It implied that I belonged to a greater whole. Unless one has lived one's entire life as someone who has been cast out, one cannot truly know the beauty of being simply another face in the crowd. 

I forced myself to look at him, to meet the calculating red eyes. "Yes," I said. "I will become one of yours." 

He nodded in satisfaction and leaned towards me, slowly at first. Then suddenly he became a blur of motion as he grabbed me and wrenched me towards him. I heard myself cry out in pain as I felt the sharp, hot pain of fangs digging into my neck. 

I felt myself quickly growing weaker. My vision began to haze over, as though I was seeing the entire world through a thick veil of cotton. I thought I felt myself fall backwards, but there was no impact with the floor. It was as though I was floating. Dimly I was aware of a deep, penetrating rhythm within my body. My heart? 

I saw a vague shape leaning over me. It was entirely blurry except for the two blazing red eyes that stood out like hot coals, boring into me and stripping away the layers of my soul, one by one. 

I felt something at my lips. I didn't know what it was, but it was solid. I wanted to investigate it, but I found that I did not have the energy to do anything. I could not even lift my arms on my own. 

Then it came. A strange, delicious sweetness dripped between my lips, each tiny little drop returning my strength in leaps and bounds. I felt the energy return to my limbs and clasped the vessel of the liquid closer to me - it was his wrist. He was feeding me his blood! 

Too late I understood what was happening. But by that point I could no longer fight it. The sensation of the cool, sweet, rich blood flowing into me was more than I could handle and it was all that I could do to simply cling to his arm and hold on for dear life, lest my sanity be washed away by the incoming tide of power. 

After what seemed like an eternity, but was nowhere near long enough, he drew back, leaving me bereft. I whimpered at the loss of the nectar, but he placed a hand against my chest to steady me and hold me back. Slowly I opened my eyes, unaware that I had closed them. 

And the world came alive. All around me, colors that had previously been gray erupted into hundreds of intricate, hidden shades that I had never before experienced. The hues seemed almost to sing with their vibrancy. I basked in the incredible wonder of the detail in the world around me. Colors were not the only thing affected. Everything in the room seemed to have a new life, a breath to it. And... a heartbeat? 

I listened closely, and... Yes! There was a heartbeat. It was faint, but very deep, and echoed throughout all the walls of the dungeon. It was the same rhythm as my own, but it was not my heart that was making that sound. I looked to the Keeper - my Keeper, in confusion. 

"That is the sound of my Heart," he said, knowing immediately exactly what I had been pondering. "It echoes within you now. I have imbued you with my power. You are now one of mine." 

I smiled. For the first time in longer than I cared to dwell on, I felt happy. I felt really and truly all right. I belonged somewhere, to someone. I was _his_. 

"You will not be an ordinary Vampire," he warned me. "I have given my energy to you directly, instead of allowing an Imp to do it. It will imbue you with certain powers in addition to those that you already possess. For instance, unlike the other Vampires, you shall be able to cross and enter water. And though you will still require blood, you will need less of it because you are now able to draw sustenance from my own energy." 

I nodded, trying to absorb this. It was a bit much to take in, truthfully. I pressed a hand to my forehead, thinking. And then suddenly drew it away and touched my face hesitantly. It seemed... the same. Colder, but the same. I looked up at the figure in front of me, but no, he was as I had perceived him before. His face was a flat and virtually expressionless. It was mask-like. But not my own. 

"Why?" I managed to ask, hoping that I was properly conveying my question. 

"Because this body is that of an Elder Vampire," he explained. "Only Vampires directly from the Shadowrealm have faces that appear thus. In battle you will wear a mask to mimic this face so that your enemies will not perceive you weakness. Go to the Lair. The energy there will clothe you properly, and one of my creatures will show you how to create your lair." 

Abruptly, I sensed him leaving the body of the Vampire. The creature, once again in control of his body, shook himself slightly and gestured for me to follow him. I did so, taking the first few steps to begin my new life. 

Finally, the pleasant thoughts of my Keeper ease me into sleep. 

  


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Oh God, that was hideous. Take me back.   
or   
Oh God, that was hideous. Let me complain to the author. 


	7. Chapter 6

Keeper Secrets: 4 Allegiances  
Chapter 6

**-------------------  
Author's Notes: Be grateful. I was going to make the unexpected reunion the last line of the chapter, so you would have had to wait a whole 'nother month to learn what their relationship was. But it didn't work out that way, so you know now. ^_^ Isn't that good? Also, sorry this chapter is so much shorter than the last one. -_- I've been very busy. **

Dungeon Keepers I and II belong to Bullfrog, not to me. I am not making money off of this story, so please don't sue me. 

Subtitle for this chapter: In Which There is an Unexpected Reunion. 

Warning: This story contains slash (male/male romance). If you object to this, please don't read it. Keep in mind that if you flame me, not only did you ignore your fair warning, but you were stupid enough to go through and read something that disgusted you. 

For notes on this story and this series, please go to this site for reference. (Note: If you are reading this on fanfiction.net, you will not be able to use that link. Please see my profile for the link to that reference page.) (Also note that this page is not the same as the one linked to in Dungeon Secrets; this one is more complete and contains the entire series.) Ramasha's picture is now up! 

If anyone would be interested in beta-reading for me and you think you are capable, please contact me at kaged_tiger@hotmail.com. Also contact me if you have any information as to what happened to Vagabond. Did she just, die or something? 

This is my story. If you would like to archive it, please inform me first. I will almost definitely say yes. 

In case you didn't notice, I have formed an update schedule. New chapters, if I have them, will appear on the first of each month (possibly one or two days later on fanfiction.net). Thank you. 

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge one of the many people who give me the determination to keep going on this monster of a fic. Kulatu and RalKirGard were extremely helpful since the publication of the last chapter. They pointed out to me that Vampires cannot, in fact, cross water or enter it. >_ 

On with the fic.  
------------------- 

**Kaelay's Dungeon  
Tarkasas**

Ramasha runs to greet me as I trudge wearily back into the Lair. He slows to a stop as he approaches, his face full of concern. It stands to reason; I'm sure I look like crap right now. I have a monstrous headache from the possession by Kaelay. Not that I begrudge her the use of my body of course, but _damn_ this hurts. 

"Are you alright?" Ramasha asks me softly, putting an arm around my waist and supporting some of my weight. I'm grateful for the help, as sad as that may be. 

"I'm fine," I assure him. "I'm just tired, that's all. And I have a huge headache. Possession is tiring." 

"I know," he says, and the expression that flits briefly across his features tells me that the thought brings up less-than-pleasant memories. I change the subject. "So, have you had a chance to analyze Kaelay's new breakthrough yet? I hear it's big." 

Ramasha smiles, depositing me on our bed as we reach it at last and sitting next to me. Dark Gods keep him for creating a lair in this Realm already. I don't think I would have had the energy to do it at this point. 

"No," Ramasha replies, "I haven't seen it. It will be pretty pointless to do so until Kaelay gets a finalized version of it down on paper anyway. But I heard all about it. It's really going to revolutionize troop movement throughout the Realms. With this spell, there's no way we can lose to Keepers who are forced to occupy only one Realm. It will be as though we have unlimited resources. Or at least as much as we can pull in from nearby Realms." 

I smile. Good news is refreshing. "So what's this new Realm like?" I ask. And then I yawn. Oh drat. I want to hold a conversation with Ramasha, but I may simply be too tired. 

Ramasha however is, as usual, completely understanding. 

"Sleep," he says, kissing my forehead. "I'm actually supposed to go do some scouting right now. I was just waiting for you to get back. We'll talk again once you're rested." 

I nod, feeling the grip of unconsciousness on me already. I'm asleep even before he leaves the bed. 

**Tharian's Dungeon  
Dimitrus**

Pathetically enough, I've spent most of the day trying to avoid Doryll. I'm not sure why, but I don't think I could take his whining at me. I know he would just look at me with those big purple eyes of his, getting all misty and... Well, I just don't trust how I might react to that. Damn him to oblivion for causing this turmoil in me anyway. 

Now that Tharian has finished his conference with Zannos and is back in the Heart, I think it's time for me to give him this little bit of news that I've picked up. That's really why he keeps me around and pampers me so much: I keep him well-stocked in information. 

When I arrive, I find to my surprise that my Keeper was expecting me. 

_Ah, Dimitrus. I was just about to send for you. You have something to report?_

"Ah, yes," I say, the witty lead-up I was planning to use completely falling apart. Damn. There goes my image. I do my best to recover quickly. 

"It has come to my attention, my Lord, that a certain creature in Zannos's Dungeon may be attracting the Keeper's... affections. Are you familiar with a Vampire named Doryll?" 

_The one you had a dalliance with?_ he asks. Damn! How did he know that? _Yes, he is a Seer. Are you saying that Zannos is favoring him with attentions of a personal nature?_

Ah, my Keeper. So delicate and formal about these matters. I know he's dying to get into Zannos's pants. ...Or whatever the metaphysical energy equivalent of pants is. 

"Yes, my Keeper," I affirm. "Although it is possible that it is Doryll who is the one doing the chasing. The rumors have it that he kissed Zannos while the Keeper was in possession of the body of a Dark Knight." 

_Interesting,_ says Tharian. There is a moment of silence. 

"You were going to summon me, my Lord?" I prompt. 

_Oh, yes._ He comes out of his reverie. _I would like you to do some scouting for me. There are two other Keepers in this Realm already. However, one of them is an old friend of Zannos's, and he thinks that we might make an alliance with them. Try to contact one of their creatures, but tread carefully. If they look hostile, then get out of there._

"Yes, Keeper," I say, and bow low. I head out of the Heart Chamber. 

_Oh, and Dimitrus,_ he says, halting me before I leave the room. 

I look back over my shoulder. "Yes, my Lord?" 

_Keep an eye on this Doryll for me._

**Evain's Dungeon  
Garreth**

Scouting is a Rogue's major job. And once again, I find myself trudging through cold water in the course of my duty to my Keeper. It's a good thing I don't get sick easily. 

I must say though, this white wall thing on my left is kind of giving me the creeps. It shimmers all the time, so you can never really get a clear view of what's beyond it, and even I can sense that there's enormous power in it. 

I'm supposed to be scouting the terrain and looking for signs of other Keepers. Apparently there are two more in this Realm. Great. As if we didn't have enough problems already. And to top it all off, if I see another creature, I'm supposed to try to _talk_ to it. That goes totally against my grain. Normally when I see a creature, I either go invisible and avoid him, retreat, or try to lynch him from behind. Just walking out where anyone can see me and get a good shot at me makes me really nervous. 

I hear a faint sound and pause, listening intently. It's a splashing noise, like water on a bank or a bridge of some kind. It stands out because the last I heard that sound was on our own bank; it makes a different sound against the undug earth around it and passes through the veil thing without being impeded. I must be close to the enemy camp. 

I cautiously inch forward, trying to peer through the white dome. There's definitely something there. But I can't get a clear view! If it was just one layer of shield I might be able to see through it, but since I'm looking diagonally across, I have to look through the damn thing twice. There's no way I can see properly. 

Taking a deep breath, I take the plunge and walk around the edge of the dome, coming in sight of the bridge I heard. 

Someone is sitting on the edge of it. He looks up as I approach and I see a pair of familiar violet eyes. 

"Doryll?!" 

**Zannos's Dungeon  
Doryll**

"Garreth?" 

What on earth is he doing here? 

It takes me a few seconds to recover from my startlement, but when I do, my face nearly splits in half from the width of my smile. I haven't seen Garreth in, God, years! 

I jump off the bridge and into the water, running up to meet him. He embraces me happily as I reach him, ruffling my hair with a familiar affection that I missed so very much. 

"Hey Kid," he says. "What in the Shadowrealm's name are you doing down here?" 

I take a step back. I had forgotten for a moment that he has no knowledge of what happened to me. "I'm a vampire now," I say quietly, not looking at him. I can't bring myself to see his reaction, for fear that it might be scorn. 

"No kidding?" His voice is soft, and almost regretful. I suddenly feel his hand on my cheek as he tilts my face towards me so that he can look at me. "That's rough, Kid. Sorry." 

I shake off the hand, trying to muster a smile for my old friend. "No, it's alright. Really! I'm happier here than I ever was back in the Overrealm. People here understand me, understand what I am. And I have a Keeper who really cares for me." 

Garreth grins in that lopsided manner that I recognize and I feel my heart constrict slightly. God, I've missed him so much. Back in the Overrealm, Garreth was the only friend I ever had. 

"Well then, good for you," he says. "You deserved so much better than the way those assholes were treating you. I'm glad you've finally found some peace. I imagine you're pretty useful down here, huh?" His grin shows all his teeth, and his eyes sparkle behind his mask. 

I nod. "Yes, I am. I can finally help my Keeper." 

He starts walking towards the bridge and I follow him. Eventually we step back onto the firm wood, and I breathe an inward sigh of relief. Even though I can enter water, I still get an uneasy feeling when doing so, as if there is some part of me that is rebelling at the touch of it. 

"So hey," he says after a pause. "I'm supposed to be looking out for creatures from the other Keepers' Dungeons. I guess it's a good thing that you're the one I ran into." 

I blink. "There are other Keepers here?" I blurt. I feel kind of stupid now. I didn't think of it, but of course he would have to be from the Dungeon of another Keeper. I would have seen him by now if he were ours or Tharian's. 

"Yeah, of course. My Keeper, Evain, and his lover Kaelay. Actually, we were hoping to form an alliance with you guys, which is why I was walking out in the open and not skulking around trying to kill you from behind." 

I smile. "I had been wondering." 

"Actually," he says, "I should probably go back and report to Evain that I found you guys. If we're going to be allies, then it would be impolite for me to just waltz into your dungeon all invisible-like and try to scout out your floorplan. So I'm going to head back. But hey, I'll come back later and we can talk more, alright?" 

"Sounds good," I reply. And it is. I'm really looking forward to talking with him. I was pretty miserable after he left, and it's nice to be able to see an old face that actually brings back good memories for once. 

"Oh hey, I've got something you might like," he says. He reaches into a large pouch on his belt and pulls out a scroll, handing it to me. "I found this a while ago in a library. It looks like a new sheilding spell of some kind. I was gonna sell it, but I can't think of anyone I'd rather give it to than you. Hopefully it will keep you safe." 

He grins, jumping back in the water and waving at me as he takes off back towards his own dungeon at a swift jog. "See you later!" he calls. "And take care of yourself, Kid!" 

"I will!" I promise, clutching the scroll to my chest. 

  


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	8. Chapter 7

Keeper Secrets: 4 Allegiances  
Chapter 7

**-------------------  
Author's Notes: Please please PLEASE go to the Secrets Series help page (for ff.net readers, the address is located in my profile) and vote in the poll for what couple you like. Your vote will make a difference as to where this story ends up! Also, I apologize for the brevity (and the belatedness) of this chapter. I tried my best not to be rushed with it, but I'm having a few problems with the planning stages of the story.**

Dungeon Keepers I and II belong to Bullfrog, not to me. I am not making money off of this story, so please don't sue me.

Subtitle for this chapter: More Backstory on Doryll, and Another Unexpected Meeting.

Warning: This story contains slash (male/male romance). If you object to this, please don't read it. Keep in mind that if you flame me, not only did you ignore your fair warning, but you were stupid enough to go through and read something that disgusted you.

For notes on this story and this series, please go to this site for reference. (Note: If you are reading this on fanfiction.net, you will not be able to use that link. Please see my profile for the link to that reference page.) (Also note that this page is not the same as the one linked to in Dungeon Secrets; this one is more complete and contains the entire series.) Ramasha's picture is now up!

If anyone would be interested in beta-reading for me and you think you are capable, please contact me at kagedtigerhotmail.com. Also contact me if you have any information as to what happened to Vagabond. Did she just, die or something?

This is my story. If you would like to archive it, please inform me first. I will almost definitely say yes.

In case you didn't notice, I have formed an update schedule. New chapters, if I have them, will appear on the first of each month (possibly one or two days later on fanfiction.net). Thank you. 

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge one of the many people who give me the determination to keep going on this monster of a fic. Thank you to Inferno719 and again to Vick330, both of whom read one or both of my stories despite not being particularly fond of slash! You guys are inspirational. Thank you.

On with the fic.  
-------------------

**Kaelay's Dungeon  
Ramasha**

There's really not much of this Realm to explore. Its dominant feature is the enormous white globe of the shield in the center. Other than that, there's the edge of the lake, the other end of the swamp from the previous Realm, and a thin strip of land between the two that is covered in most places with at least an inch of water.

I decide to fly my reconnaissance, rather than walk, to avoid getting soaked. As I scan the terrain, I try very hard not to worry about Tarkasas. I could tell that he was more wearied by that possession than he wanted to admit. It was a close call with the fight; if Kaelay hadn't accidentally discovered that she could still go through the Realm Portal, he probably would have died.

That thought leaves me more than a little shaken. It doesn't help that I know I'm keeping things from him. Ever since we heard of the Phoenixdown, I've been unable to stop thinking of Kethian. I love Tarkasas, truly I do, but I can't help thinking, if I could have Kethian back, wouldn't I want him? Kethian was my first true love. I cared about him at least as much as I care about Tarkasas now.

I sigh, unable or perhaps unwilling to resolve the conflict in my mind. I must deal with first things first. We will be unable to do anything with the Phoenixdown if the other Keepers in this Realm get to it, or to us, first.

My wings are beginning to tire a bit, and I search around for a dry place to land. Unfortunately, the entire area around here seems to be completely underwater, and I'm forced to get my feet wet; next to the barrier, the water rises slightly above my knees.

I'm surprised to find myself breathing hard. I suppose my emotional distress must have translated itself into physical energy. I _have_ come quite a distance from our dungeon.

I start to lean against the barrier to catch my breath, but nearly fall over when I encounter no solid form. My eyes widening, I turn to the barrier and attempt to place my hands on it. They go right through!

Well this is unusual. Cautiously, I step forward, hands outstretched, and - yes! I _can_ pass through the barrier. Once inside I can see clearly to the small island of impenetrable rock in the center. I can also see the movements of scaly bodies under the surface of the water between here and there. From the look of it, there are quite a few large and undoubtedly nasty creatures protecting the waters around the island.

I take a step back, and pass through the barrier once again, in the other direction. I'll wait. There's no need to get the Phoenixdown immediately; as far as I'm aware, no one else can pass through the barrier. I should have some sort of reinforcements with me, or at least a better weapon.

Come to think of it, why _can_ I pass through the barrier? What's so special about me that I can do it when no one else can? Perhaps it only yields to Dark Angels?

I'm about to head back and report my findings to Kaelay when I hear the splashing sounds of someone approaching. I put my hand on my sword hilt; we may wish to ally with the other Keepers here, but that does not mean that they have accepted it. Or perhaps it is not another creature but simply a denizen of the Underrealm, something similar to the creatures I saw beyond the veil.

The splashing becomes louder as the creature approaches, and I begin to be able to make out a form in the shadows. It's difficult to see what it is in this dim light; the only illumination is a faint glow cast by the barrier. I hold out my other hand, the one not readying my sword, and mutter the words to a familiar spell. A small globe of light appears in my palm.

The newcomer gasps, shielding his eyes momentarily, his person now completely visible. As he lowers his arm, his eyes adjusted to the light, my breath catches is astonishment and my hand falls from my sword hilt.

Kethian?

No. No, it's impossible. He's dead. He can't possibly be... I lean hard against the barrier, the only part of my brain that is still coherent registering that I can, in fact, do so now, and try to come to grips with this. How is it possible? How?

I push myself off the barrier and take a step forward, looking closely at the stranger. There is surprise in his expression, but no recognition. Does he not know me? But, Kethian...

But as I finally get close enough to see all his features, I realize that there are small differences. His eyebrows are finer than Kethian's, Kethian had a bit of a stronger jaw. No, no this isn't him. But Dark Gods, they looks so similar that it's painful. Who is this Angel?

**Tharian's Dungeon  
Dimitrus**

When my eyes adjust to the sudden flare of light, I lower my arm and find myself face to face with the most beautiful being I've ever seen.

The Dark Angel facing me with a poleaxed expression is tall, lean but muscular, and blond, with beautifully fine features. The surprise on his face makes him look innocent, but I can tell that he's an experienced fighter. I hope it doesn't come to a battle; I have no doubt he could kick my ass.

I must have him.

For what may be the first time in my life, I actually feel a _need_ of someone, more than just a want. It's incredible, and I'm not sure what exactly brought it about, only that it's there.

"Who are you?" I manage when I eventually find my voice.

"Ah..." He too seems unsure, and has to clear his throat before he can speak. "My name is... Ramasha."

Ramasha. "Quite a beautiful name. I'm Dimitrus. It is quite a pleasure to meet you. You are from one of the other Keepers' Dungeons, I take it?"

He nods, his eyes still fixed unbelievingly on my face. What is it about me that surprised him so? Can he possibly be feeling the same desire as I am feeling?

"Kaelay, Keeper of the Red Darkness, is my master," he says.

"Mine is Tharian, Second to the Blue Darkness. We bid you welcome to this Realm."

"Ah." He says nothing, still staring at me. It is almost a full minute before he finally snaps out of it. "Oh! I have to go back. I must see Kaelay."

No! Don't go! I step forward and grab his arm. "Wait, please. Uh..." I try to think of a good excuse not to let him get away. "Why don't I come with you. I'm supposed to be proposing an alliance. I should meet with your Keeper."

"Alright." He nods, turning to go, but I can feel him still looking at me out of the corner of his eye. "It's this way," he says.

He flaps his wings, rising into the air, and speeds off back towards his dungeon. I'm right behind him. I purposefully fly at the same speed as him, not trying to catch up. It's not exactly a bad view from back here.

**Evain's Dungeon  
Evain**

Being the Second of a Darkness is not without its responsibilities. For instance, it is my job to deal with the truce, now that I've been trained for it.

We meet in the center of the Realm, the white shield glowing softly below us. I adopt my usual form, a winged Salamander in the robes of a Warlock. I like this form; it's powerful, intelligent, while not being overly threatening. The other Keeper's is similar, a Triton, the male of the mer-race. He looks young, but not one to be trifled with.

_You are Tharian, then,_ I begin.

_Yes,_ he affirms, _and you are Evain. Welcome._

_Welcome._

We eye each other defensively, like two Demon Spawn meeting outside a Training Room, neither wanting to fight, but both completely wary should the other make a move. Neither of us really wants to be the one to start the negotiations, but someone has to. Since they were here first, I decide that I should make the first move.

_We have come here to offer you an alliance._ One must use the plural in these situations; I am representing more than just myself.

He nods. _And ourselves, as well. Perhaps, for start, simply a cessation of any hostilites between our two sides?_

I try not to smile, since it would be inapporpriate. "Cessation" indeed. None of us have made any hostile movements since we arrive. All parties are treading as though on eggshells. But let him use the words he wishes.

_Indeed. And perhaps we ought to meet, along with our superiors, at a later date? Say, the darkest hour?_ It is just past the lightest hour now.

He nods. _Agreed._ We each tentatively offer our hands, and shake on the agreement.

I head back to Kaelay's dungeon. Well, that was painless. Edgy, full of tension, but painless. If only all negotiations could be so easy.

Well, time to give Kaelay the good news.

**Zannos's Dungeon  
Doryll**

I head back to my Lair, needing to rest. I find myself slightly shaken by my meeting with Garreth. Of course, it makes sense. I knew he was a Rogue. I just never bothered to connect that with the Underrealm.

I knew Garreth a long time ago, back when I lived in the Overrealm. He was living there as well, if you can believe it. Rogue's often do; of all creatures, they find it easiest to move between the two worlds, living in whichever they choose. Garreth was a thief who lived in the small town where I was born.

I was shunned by my people as I grew up. Those in my village were wary of violet eyes to begin with; it's supposed to be the mark of a demon. But once my powers began to manifest, they became intolerable. I hardly remember my parents; once it became clear what I was, they left me on the steps of a church, hoping that the clerics there would either purify or kill me. I was of walking and talking age by then, but they told me to stay there and wait. They said they would return. They left town that night.

Garreth knew what would happen to me if I was left at that church. He came, and talked me into leaving with him. Together we lived in the shadows of that town, stealing for our livelihood. He taught me how to do it, though I was never very good. Mostly I just used my powers to find for him things that were valuable, or to warn him what to do to avoid being caught. He was grateful for the help, and I was grateful for the companionship.

He never treated my unkindly. I never felt used by him for my abilities. I know that he valued me as a partner. Which is why, when he simply disappeared one day, I was rather distraught.

It was three days before I found the letter he had left me. He had hidden it away, to be sure that I was the only one who would find it. In it, he explained that he had been called to return to the Underrealm. There was a Keeper there whose services he was eager to join. He apologized for leaving me, but said that he was sure I had what it took to survive on my own. And he had taught me the skills I needed. What he underestimated was my need for company, a need for someone who could look at me without loathing. Without him, I had no one like that.

I survived as he had meant me to for perhaps another two years or so. That's when the Keeper of the Blue Darkness began to terrorize our village. I was searched out, hunted through the streets. For a few days I managed to evade them, but they were determined. Eventually I was captured, and brought to the Lord who ruled our village, in his keep nearby. They told him that I was a theif and a demon, and offered to send me to the Keeper in order to appease him; perhaps he would be content with a sacrifice of one of his own.

The Lord felt that he had nothing to lose by trying, and so I was sent. I was petrified at the time, but it was, in the end, perhaps one of the best things to ever happen to me. Certainly they didn't believe so. But they thought I would be killed, or worse.

I learned much later that Zannos had destroyed that village. After capturing and torturing the guards who brought me, he had sent a mob of Dark Mistresses to pillage and loot. They killed or captured everyone, including the Lord in his keep. I hear he went down fighting, never giving them a chance to torture him. Seeing a Dark Mistress fight tends to bring out that sentiment in one.

And now... Garreth has returned. I don't blame him for leaving me. I know it was hard on him, and I know that he believed I would be alright. But seeing him again has been... strange, to say the least.

I clutch his scroll to my chest. After I rest, I will have to go to the Library and analyze it. He said it was a shielding spell. That could come in handy. Not that I'm one-hundred percent sure that that's what it really is. Garreth has never been known for his expertise at analyzing his loot; he's much better at acquiring it. But nevertheless, I'm sure it's valuable. He always had a keen eye for that.

So then. Garreth. I smile, feeling myself begin to drift off. It will be good to see and speak with him again. I do wonder what he's been up to since he left.

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Oh God, that was hideous. Take me back.   
or   
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End file.
